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Top 10 useful features of iOS 8 (Video)

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Now that we’ve taken a look at some of the unannounced and hidden features in iOS 8, it’s time to check out what’s been in the open since Apple’s official announcement. Of course, there are a lot more than 10 features in iOS 8, but in order to keep things to a minimum, we’ve put together video containing some of our favorites.

While some of these features may not be the most exciting around, they are definitely helpful and seem to be a good fit in iOS 8. Check out our video overview below to find out more about our top 10 favorite iOS 8 features

If you haven’t noticed by now, Apple is pretty slow when it comes to keeping up with competitor’s mobile software features. Thanks to iOS 8, we now have the ability to quick reply and add system-wide custom keyboards. Sure, that may not seem like a big deal to everyone, but it’s definitely a feature that I’ve been waiting for.

Along with the ability to quick reply, iOS 8 ships with Tap to Talk. This is a new feature that will allow you to reply to a message with an audio snippet or video recording and the other person can play it back inline in the Messages app.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLJQ4GLbWpE]

These are just a few of the excellent features iOS 8 to offer. Be sure to check out the full top 10 list below (click on a link for a detailed overview):

What are you favorite features in iOS 8?

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Comments

  1. El Capitán Thalluri - 10 years ago

    I love that the Photos app on the iPhone and iPad is being brought to Mac and finally getting rid of the clunky and bloated iPhoto. It makes me also feel that iTunes is about to see it’s last days, and there will be a dedicated Music App, Videos App etc. Maybe the Music App will simply be called ‘Beats..’

    MKT

  2. techsplyce - 10 years ago

    There is literally nothing here that wasn’t taken from someone else. Either Google, Microsoft, Snapchat or Whatsapp.

    Apple can be seriously innovative, but if these are really the 10 best iOS 8 has to offer, then I am thoroughly underwhelmed.

    • hmurchison - 10 years ago

      Apple was busy developing a new programming language and safe way to deliver inter-app communications. These are just consumer front-facing features.

    • The fact that other mobile OSs have these features doesn’t make them less useful. Yes, Apple is behind because it takes it’s time to thoughtfully implement these features, especially when it creates features that duplicate functionality of 3rd party apps. The fact that Apple waits so long could be argued to be more beneficial to developers.

      • herb02135go - 10 years ago

        Being slow doesn’t equal quality. Maps, anyone?

        But the sheep will love it.

      • Tim Jr. - 10 years ago

        @herb02135go

        Maps was not slow.. it was pushed out FAST.. they bought the tech/licensing and pushed it out in under 9 months.. which is crazy considering it took Google years.. Being late doesn’t equal slow..

      • bqecze - 10 years ago

        Quick does not make quality either. Apple may perhaps lag in their releases, but they ultimately do it better than anyone else does. So far things like NFC havent been used much in the android world because no one got together to figure out how to organize and standardize its usage. When Apple releases it, they will have the kind of infrastructure in place so that you can use it, instead of putting it in a device just to have it there making hardware more expensive without the benefit of utility.

        As for maps, that is disappointing, however they are literally mapping just about every square inch of the world. Google certainly didnt get it right in 2-3 years. They had the benefit of kicking off their project with nothing to compare it to.

        Innovation is not something that is tremendously obvious to the world. Apple is changing some very fundametal underpinnings of their OS’s, which means they are thinking to the years ahead and how to better accomodate future developments in hardware, software and development.

    • herb02135go - 10 years ago

      Business Insider has a comprehensive article on the features already available on Samsung devices.
      It doesn’t mention those that I mentioned.

      Maybe Apple is just “taking its time” and will soon rollout a fax machine …

      • Tim Jr. - 10 years ago

        Samsung already did that with theres.. not a single feature is original. lol Just because they had it before Apple doesn’t doesn’t mean it was done right or that actually invented it.

      • bqecze - 10 years ago

        Having breaks in a car is not an original concept. I don’t consider that to be stolen from anyone.

    • lowtolerance - 10 years ago

      Why is everything a pissing content with fanboys like you? These features don’t exist to impress you or to one-up the competition, they’re there to give users a better experience. This corporate-sponsored us vs. them mentality is ridiculous. I just can’t understand why people are so insecure about their choice of platform that they feel like they have to “beat the other team”. If you don’t like Apple’s offerings, THERE ARE OTHER GREAT OPTIONS.

      • techsplyce - 10 years ago

        Woah woah. Not a pissing contest. It’s just boring. Believe me if Apple comes out with something amazing, that ups everyone’s game.

        All I’m saying is that this update was quite underwhelming with nothing new to offer.

    • Fernando Tincopa - 10 years ago

      absolutely right! sorry to say this but after 6 years buying Iphones, the Iphone 5s will be probably the last one… I`m really disappointed. For example, the most useful feature Hey Siri needs the device to be plugged in … WTF ???? It makes the whole thing useless ! another thing: why is it so difficult for Apple to implement something very useful like waking up the device by just touching the screen twice ? Apple you are about to lose one of many, many customers…

      • zBrain (@joeregular) - 10 years ago

        i think it has something to do with battery life. imagine that function being always on!

      • ricklias - 10 years ago

        I’d rather touch the home button ONCE and wake the phone AND unlock it at the same time.

      • bqecze - 10 years ago

        I suspect you will be far more disappointed when you go to a phone where there is no standardization between carriers who use the same OS.

      • Gabriel Botello - 10 years ago

        its funny how people say that there gonna switch from iPhone to another phone and then a year goes by and then they wanna return to the iPhone lol. 4 people did that at my job 3 got the S4 and one got the note 2, man where they un happy lol. it was complain after complain about this and that. my iPhone 5s does everything i need it to and it does is with no problems at all.

      • ricklias - 10 years ago

        Hi Fernando. You are not an iPhone user. Please stop pretending. Touch the screen twice? Are you kidding me? Of all the iPhone ONLY features listed at this years WWDC, you would prefer a “Hellstew of vulnerability” device for a feature that .0000000000001% of users are asking for? You my friend are pure comedy. Thank you for the laughter!

  3. Mikey Trapp (@slcpunkin) - 10 years ago

    “New Mail app options” ?

  4. What is the point of a locked screen if anyone can read and reply to my messages ?

  5. just|me (@Antoniogzzx) - 10 years ago

    These are great, but still waiting for multi-facetime (group video calls up to 4 users) feature, may be they’ll introduce until the next iPhone out or iOS8.1 comes out. If the rumour are true, then the next big screen would be perfect for this feature.

    • Andy Brooks - 10 years ago

      I agree this needs to happen. Remember they had that on OS X all the back in 2006 with iChat AV? It was beautiful. This would be great on our modern devices!

    • Gabriel Botello - 10 years ago

      is that something that people really need? i mean with cellphone companies switching from unlimited to a cap on internet, less and less people wanna spend the money to get a higher data cap. yeah it would be nice but thats not something that i would want a company to focus on.

  6. herb02135go - 10 years ago

    The video looked great on my 5″ screen. However, a couple of comments:
    – the host needs to shave and get a new wardrobe
    – dump the hat

    I don’t know if it was the video that was boring or the lack of interesting features but I had trouble staying awake.

  7. Ilko Sarafski - 10 years ago

    Hey Dom! Great video, really short, tidy and useful. But can you tell me (you or anyone else) about this QuickType thing – is it supporting only English or also all of the other languages (as keyboards) included in iOS? Thank you!

  8. Victor Martino - 10 years ago

    Third party keyboards hands down!

  9. Craig Patchett - 10 years ago

    This release, from what I’ve seen so far, is worthy of a 7.5 moniker, not an 8.0.

  10. Dakota Simpson - 10 years ago

    For a company that gets so mad when it thinks others have copied or imitated its features, this surely is a lack of innovation with features already present on Android and other platforms for years. The big winner is going to be Swiftkey who just got millions of new customers. Apple denigrates Android but then steals many of its features. It was really underwhelming but lets see if android comes up with anything innovative.

  11. Dakota Simpson - 10 years ago

    The audio /video texting can be a useful feature but I guess you need to be in an Apple cult. God forbid you have friends or family that use Android. Thats something I really don’t like.

  12. Tom Rudderham - 10 years ago

    Some more features I’ve discovered: you can hide the predictive text panel, delete albums with one swipe, hide draft emails on iPhone and more: http://iosguides.net/ios-8-features/