iOS 8: Earth-shattering innovation!

victorwilson on 03/06/2014 - 14:51
Last edited 05/06/2014 - 21:33 by 1 other user

So it seems iOS 8 was released this morning, with much fanfare here from the usual Australian Apple fans (ahem SMH).

Amongst these new features are groundbreaking innovations that nobody has ever thought of before.

These include:

  • Health kit (Samsung S Health, anyone?)
  • Battery usage per app (Welcome to 2009!)
  • Widgets, only in notification centre (zzzz…)
  • Predictive text and gesture typing, third party keyboards
  • Interactive notifications (jellybeans, anyone?)
  • Manual exposure and photo straightening (…)
  • OK Google Hey Siri
  • App Store Beta testing programs (Google Play has had this for a while)

To be honest, it is great to see Apple catching up to their competition and giving their loyal customers the features they've been missing out on for so long.

What are your thoughts?

Is iOS 8 "the world's most advanced mobile operating system" as they claim on their website?

P.S. Google I/O takes place on 25-26 June. In 3 weeks, Android users will be two years ahead again!

Mobile Apple

Comments

  • altomic on 03/06/2014 - 15:09
    +7

    …and it makes your Iphone waterproof.

  • superm86 on 03/06/2014 - 15:13

    Only advantage I see iOS have on Android is that iOS apps need to be optimized for a lot less number of iOS and device size variation - hence runs a bit better.
    Android, on other hand have so many variants: both in size and OS version - developer can not test his app on each .

    • fruit on 03/06/2014 - 16:29
      +1

      We have been developing websites for different screen sizes, browsers, OS etc for longer than smartphones have existed.
      Responsive apps are easy on Android.

      • superm86 on 04/06/2014 - 10:31

        No doubt its easy. But apps user interface and the way it interacts with OS and I/Os - these are the things which depend on screen size (which are in million variation in android) and OS version (which are also too many versions - each phone company has its layer on top, custom ROMs, each provider got its different OS - all these factors creates too many combination of android system.

        • Charlatan on 04/06/2014 - 12:43

          Are you a dev?

  • BadHorse on 03/06/2014 - 15:17
    +3

    At least with iOS you can download an update whenever it become available

    I couldn't believe it when three of my fiends all had different versions of Android on their S3's after two year!

    • pjetson on 03/06/2014 - 15:33
      +1

      Not if you have an iPad 1.

    • victorwilson on 03/06/2014 - 15:38
      +1

      When you have an old iOS device that Apple can't be bothered supporting in their next iOS update… too bad! There's nothing you can do!

      However there's a huge community of developers who adapt new Android releases to older phones (e.g. Kit Kat on Nexus S). It's as simple as rooting and flashing a custom ROM on your old Android device and it's as good as new (though, admittedly, sometimes a bit laggy).

  • ExtraSalt on 03/06/2014 - 15:36

    i think the only function i like is being able to draw on attached photos. i can use it to annotate issues on artwork when I'm sending jobs for approval….thats probably all. half the junk was already on my SGS1 which i lost when i got an iPhone lol.

    All in all it was such a disappointing day lol….no technological advances, 2hrs on 2 operating systems with only software improvements.

  • fruit on 03/06/2014 - 16:30

    Is it just me or is Apple announcing years old Android features as new?
    (And I have an iPhone)

    • Mikinoz on 03/06/2014 - 16:34

      ios8 = Best of android with some BB10

    • scrimshaw on 03/06/2014 - 16:50

      Apple wants to win back some of it's switchers (who have gone to other platforms) so pimping out the notifications centre, widgets and allowing 3rd party keyboards seems like they want to make IOS abit more like Android.

      All nice and well, earth shattering features. Hmm.

      • mskeggs on 03/06/2014 - 18:17
        +2

        Interesting that the argument in the kitchen today at work was that ios was preferable as it was 'easier'.
        Since ios7 I think this is becoming rapidly less true. This release tends to confirm that in my mind. My next phone will be Android.

    • ExtraSalt on 04/06/2014 - 09:45

      lol…. @apple they are only doing it so they can sue samsung again.

  • dktlim on 04/06/2014 - 08:37
    +1

    "My favourite mega corporation is better than yours!"

    Sometimes I feel like switching to Android for my next phone. Then I see the smug, petty point-scoring triumphalism of people like OP and I come to my senses. It's like the elitism of Linux users and the brand fanboyism of console owners rolled into one. Why would I want to be a part of that?

    iOS7 is crap but I mainly use my phone for calls and emails anyway and there's only so much you can do to stand out (or screw up) in those areas.

    • mskeggs on 04/06/2014 - 09:01
      +2

      Agreed. But when I can buy an android device with similar specs for literally 80% less than Apple are charging, it makes it hard to justify an Apple purchase.

    • victorwilson on 05/06/2014 - 12:57

      Actually this is just a sarcastic comparison between the two platforms. Please re-read the original post:

      To be honest, it is great to see Apple catching up to their competition and giving their loyal customers the features they've been missing out on for so long.

  • powerhead on 04/06/2014 - 14:14

    in all fairness, iOS 8 wasn't "released this morning" it was merely announced

    • dylanando on 14/06/2014 - 21:59

      beta was released

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