iOS 8 vs iOS 8.1
Knowing the difference between iOS 8 and iOS 8.1 could be of use when deciding on software updates because these two are the latest two versions of the Apple iOS. Apple iOS is the series of mobile operating systems designed by Apple, to be run on their mobile Apple products such as iPhone, iPad and iPod. iOS 8, which was released on September 17th 2014 is the 8th major release of their iOS operating system. Later Apple released a couple of updates to the iOS 8 as 8.0.1 and 8.0.2, and on October 20th 2014, they released a major update as iOS 8.1. Basically, iOS 8.1 is an improved version of the existing iOS 8, which includes new features, as well as bug fixes. Apple iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus which are shipped with iOS 8 can be anytime updated easily to version 8.1 to enjoy these new features. Not only those devices but any other device such as iPhone 4S or later and iPad 2 or later supports this latest iOS 8.1 version.
iOS 8 Review – features of iOS 8
Apple iOS 8 is the major release of the iOS operating system series after its predecessor iOS 7. In iPhone series, a device must be iPhone 4s or higher to support this new operating system. If it is an iPad, then it must be iPad 2 or higher. Apart from that, devices such as iPad mini or later and iPod touch (5th generation) or later also support iOS 8.
iOS 8 has a lot of features that are inherited from previous iOS versions. The springboard is the application that consists of basic graphical user interface elements such as home screen, spotlight search and folders. Notification center is the central place that sends alerts about the device status and application status to the user. iOS 8 also has the most important feature of a modern operating system which is multitasking, where a user can launch and work in several applications at the same time. Moreover, facilities to switch between applications in a very convenient fashion and ability to end tasks forcibly, has been provided. App store is the central location where the users can buy iOS apps. Game center is a features that allows playing of multiplayer online games. Another notable feature is the one called Siri which acts as a personal voice assistant which provides voice dictation.
Apple iOS 8 consists of new applications as well as applications that are inherited from previous versions of iOS. Phone, Mail, Safari, Music, and Videos can be considered the most primary applications found of Apple iOS 8. Mail is the email client and Safari is the web browser. Messages, Contacts, Calendar, Photos and Camera are also widely used apps. iOS 8 also has the FaceTime application that allows taking video calls over Wi-Fi or cellular networks. iTunes is the famous music player in iOS which also provide access to the iTunes music store. Applications such as stocks, weather, maps, notes, reminders, voice memos, calculator and clock are also worth mentioning.
New Features in iOS 8
Now let’s discuss some features that are newly introduced in iOS 8. In this new version, photo application got the option to edit photos while the camera application was introduced with a shot timer. Notification center, as well as the messages application, have been improved by a considerable amount when compared to iOS 7. A new feature called “quick type” which is a predictive typing facility has been added to the keyboard. Moreover, a new file hosting service called iCloud Drive has been introduced where users would get 5GB of free subscription. Also, several other features such as Handoff and Instant Hotspots allow sharing of data between Apple devices and sharing internet connectivity. Above described are some major features only, but iOS 8 has many other new features and improvements over its predecessor.
iOS 8.1 Review – features of iOS 8.1
This is a major update that was released for existing iOS 8.0. This contains many improvements, new features and bug fixes. So it is like the next subversion of the iOS 8. Although there are no huge stunning differences between Apple iOS 8 and 8.1, still there are a considerable amount of new functionalities and bug fixes. Any device that supports iOS 8 can be updated to iOS 8.1. In this version, new features, improvements and bug fixes were introduced to applications such as photos, messages and safari. Also, issues with regard to Wi-Fi performance and Bluetooth connections that were found in the previous version of iOS have been fixed. More importantly a bug that caused problems in screen rotation has been addressed. An interesting option to select 2G or 3G or LTE for data connections has been introduced. Further several improvements over accessibility features such as VoiceOver, handwriting, Mi-fi and Guided Access have been introduced. For United States only, the Apple Pay service was launched for iPhone 6 and 6 Plus.
What is the difference between iOS 8 and iOS 8.1?
• A new service called iCloud Photo Library has been introduced to photos application in iOS 8.1 but still it is in beta stage.
• In iOS 8.1 an alert is displayed, when storage space is getting low while capturing time-lapse video.
• The Camera Roll album has been enabled back in iOS 8.1 which went missing in iOS 8.
• In iOS 8.1, iPhones can send and receive SMS or MMS from and to iPads and Macs.
• The problem in iOS 8 where the search functionality in messages did not show results properly is no more there in iOS 8.1.
• A bug that exist in iOS 8 where read messages were not marked so has now been fixed in iOS 8.1.
• The group messaging functionality in iOS 8.1 works fine with fewer problems when compared to iOS 8.
• The problem in Safari browser in iOS 8 where the videos sometimes did not play properly has been fixed in iOS 8.1.
• In iOS 8, HealthKit app has problems accessing data when running in the background. This problem is no longer there in iOS 8.1.
• Wi-Fi performance issues in iOS 8 have been fixed in iOS 8.1.
• The issue in iOS 8 where certain hands-free Bluetooth devices could not be connected , is no longer there in 8.1.
• The screen rotation feature in iOS 8.1 works without getting stopped as in iOS 8.
• In iOS 8.1 there is an option to select between 2G, 3G or LTE for the data connections. This option is not there in iOS 8.
• In iOS 8.1, there is an option to set Dictation on or off for the keyboards.
• In iOS 8.1 accessibility features such as Guided Access, Voice over, Mi-fi hearing, handwriting, and Bluetooth keyboards have been improved than the versions found in iOS 8.
• For United States only, with iOS 8.1 the Apple Pay service was launched for iPhone 6 and 6 Plus where it turns the phone into a virtual wallet.
• In iOS 8, there is an issue where the use of OS X caching server is inhib ited for iOS updates. In iOS 8.1, that issue is fixed.
Summary:
iOS 8 vs iOS 8.1
Apple iOS 8 is the 8th major release of the series of mobile operating systems designed by Apple. Most iPhones, Ipads and iPods, which are not too old, can support iOS 8. The iOS 8.1 is a major update for iOS 8 that provides improvements, new features and bug fixes. Any device that support s iOS 8 can be upgraded to version 8.1 very easily. Though Apple iOS 8.1 does not have incredibly huge difference over iOS 8, it still has a considerable amount of improvements to existing features and important bug fixes. The update procedure is very simple, so it is worth updating an existing iOS 8 to the latest version to enjoy the new features and achieve more stability.