iOS 8.1 is slated to land on Monday, October 20. iOS 8 is arguably the most buggiest public release ever. From the awfully buggy third-party keyboards, to your devices not being oriented correctly, there’s no debate that the OS needs some refinements.
More than anything, we hope that iOS 8.1 brings bug fixes and stability improvements. So what exactly should we expect from Apple’s latest and greatest?
Apple Pay
Teased at last month’s iPhone event, Apple Pay is Apple’s attempt at getting into the mobile payments system. Though this is not the first. Passbook launched several years ago. The company hoped that the software based payment system would take off. Apple Pay, on the other hand, is supposedly its partner in crime. Working hand-in-hand together to create an easy-to-use payment system.
Apple Pay works with the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus’s built in NFC chip to talk to any handsfree payment terminal. (Note that the NFC chip in the iPhones are restricted to Apple Pay.) Privacy is key here, the merchant doesn’t know what you bought, when you bought it, or how much you spent. Your payment information is not stored on the device, and a dynamic security code is used every time.
The system is also available online through third-party apps. This method works with the iPhone 5s and above, iPad mini 3, and iPad Air 2. This allows payments through apps such as Target, Apple’s Online Store, and Disney. While still retaining security with Touch ID.
Continuity
With the release of OS X Yosemite, iOS 8.1 can now take advantage of low energy bluetooth and Wi-Fi to allow a much more seamless experience between Apple’s mobile and desktop operating systems. With continuity you’re able to AirDrop between devices, make phone calls and send SMS messages on iPhone, iPad, and Mac without any steps, and pick up where you left off between all of your devices.
Instant hotspot is another huge feature. This allows you to connect to your iPhone or cellular iPad’s cellular network from any of your devices and instantly connect to the network. Let’s say you have an essay on your computer but you’re on the train, so there’s no Wi-Fi. All you’d have to do is click on the Wi-Fi icon on your Mac’s menubar, and your iPhone should appear in the list of Wi-Fi networks. All without pulling out your iPhone, or having to do any extra steps.
Granted you have the hardware to support it. SMS relay supports all devices capable of running OS X Yosemite and iOS 8.1, AirDrop, handoff, and phone calls require devices that have Bluetooth 4.0. Instant hotspot will require a data plan with tethering.
Photos
Apple pretty much took away what we’ve always come to expect from Apple. Firstly, they got rid of the Camera Roll. Meaning, if you’re anything like the iOS population, and never sort your photos, any photos that weren’t within the “Most Recent” photos, are now missing in action. With iOS 8.1, Apple will be brining back the Camera Roll. The home for photos.
iCloud Photo Library will also be going public. This will sync all of your photos across all of your Apple devices and will also be available online through iCloud.com.
iOS 8.1 will be one of many reported updates. Quite frankly, it’s the one we expected, as Apple gave it away during it’s iPhone event that they were going to launch Apple Pay this month.
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