Apple officially launched the iPhone 6 today and with it has revealed the last few remaining details surrouding iOS 8, the latest version of Apple's mobile operating system. We already know a fair bit about the OS, as it was announced back in June at WWDC, and has been available to developers in beta form for a while now, but now it's all official - and the good news is that it's also coming to a host of older iOS devices on top of the newly announced iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.
iOS 8 will be coming to the iPhone 4s, iPhone 5, iPhone 5c and iPhone 5s as well as iPad 2, iPad with Retina Display, iPad Air, iPad Mini, iPad Mini with Retina Display and the fifth generation iPod Touch. You might need to do a little work to get your device ready, but you can read our guide on how to prepare your iPhone or iPad for iOS 8 in preparation. In the meantime, here's everything we know about the company's latest OS. You can also read our iOS 8 vs iOS 7 guide to see what's different between the current and new operating systems.
Release date
A newest version of iOS will launch on September 17th - that's two days earlier than the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. That's just over two weeks away, so isn't long to wait at all. While we were showing people how to get the beta version of the OS on their handsets before, we no longer recommend it. Using the beta version cost money in order to get a licence, but with the free update so close, it's now worth waiting.
How to Update
As soon as Apple makes iOS 8 available to the public, you'll be able to download it directly from your iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad. Simply open the Settings app, then tap on the "general" tab on the left of the screen. Now tap "software update" on the right side of the screen to force your device to look for an update. If it's available, it will ask you whether to start downloading. The update is sure to be sizeable, so make sure you're connected to a Wi-Fi network rather than 3G or 4G, and plug in your device so it's fully charged. Once the file is downloaded, it will install and upgrade your device to iOS 8.
Apple Pay
The iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus will be the first Apple devices to have NFC built in, specifically for the purposes of contactless payment. The NFC chip is built across the top of the phone and will store your payment information securely via encryption.
Adding credit cards is simple. You can use the card already associated with your iTunes account, or simply take a picture of it with the iPhone 6's camera in Safari. When you get to the checkout stage on a store, you can tap the on-screen button to activate the feature, automatically getting the iPhone to enter your credit card details for you.
These details aren't stored on the phone either. Instead of handing over your card's number to the cashier, Apple Pay will use a one-time payment number and a dynamic security code. This means you won't have to cancel your card if your iPhone gets lost. The cashier doesn't see your security code either, but you'll still be able to suspend all payments from your phone using the Find My iPhone service.
"Apple doesn't know what you bought, where you bought it, and how much you bought it for," said Eddy Cue at Apple's official iPhone 6 launch.
Apple also confirmed that Apple Pay will work online as well. Specific shopping apps will integrate the service directly into its UI, offering a one-touch check out option.
The Apple Pay service will start in the US with Amex, Mastercard and Visa and Apple says it's currently working with Citi, Bank of America, Capital One, Wells Fargo, Chase and American Express. We still don't know if and when Apple Pay will be coming to the UK and which banks will support it, but Apple said it was "working hard" to bring the service to more countries. We'll bring the latest news as it breaks.
Health app
Apple's Health app collects together health and fitness data collected by other iOS 8 apps and brings everything together in one place. Heart rate, calories burned, blood sugar, cholesterol, sleep patterns and more can all be measured and recorded on an iPhone through apps such as Nike+. The Health app also lets you create an emergency health card that's available from the lock screen, detailing blood type, allergies and other important information.
Apple hopes that Health and the underlying HealthKit developer software will allow hospitals and medical professionals to receive health and fitness data, allowing medical information to be more easily tracked and monitored.
Third-party keyboards
One of the most-wanted features being added to iOS 8, you can now install third-party keyboards on your iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch. That means apps such as Swype and Swiftkey will soon be available for iOS 8.
Apple has also worked to improve the default iOS 8 keyboard with a new predictive text system, called QuickType. The technology suggests what word you're likely to type next based on past conversations. It also takes into account how you write to different people – so iOS 8 will understand that when talking to your boss you use formal language but when talking to your friend you use informal language. Apple said the predictive text technology would allow people to compose messages and emails "with a few taps". An update in iOS 8 beta 5 sees QuickType toggling accessed by swiping up on the keyboard. Pressing and holding on the emoji icon will also being up an option to turn predictive on or off.
Design tweaks
iOS 8 doesn't look drastically different to iOS 7, but it still has lots of less noticeable changes. Double-tapping the home button will now bring up a list of people you often contact, as well as recently opened apps.
Notifications are now interactive, so tapping on a message will let you reply without opening the app while tapping on a calendar invitation will let you decline or accept. Third-party apps such as Facebook can also use interactive notifications to let you comment or like things without opening Facebook.
Mail is now more intelligent and able to recognise addresses, phone numbers, diary invites and more and suggest that you add them to contacts and calendars. New swipe gestures also make it quicker to delete, flag or mark messages as read.
In Safari, the tab page from iPhone now appears on iPad, with a new sidebar sliding out to show bookmarks, Reading List and shared links.
Connect iOS 8 to OSX with Continuity
iOS 8 and OSX Yosemite can communicate in a number of ways. Handoff means you can start writing an email on your iPhone or iPad and finish it off on a Mac and vice-versa. You can also open a webpage on your Mac and you can continue viewing it on your iPhone. The Apple devices will need to be signed into the same iCloud account for Continuity to work.
Handoff works with apps such as Mail, Safari, Pages, Numbers, Keynote, Maps, Messages, Reminders, Calendar and Contacts. Developers can build the feature into their apps as well.
As well as apps, Continuity also turns your Mac into an iPhone. When your iPhone rings and it is in another room or buried at the bottom of a bag your Mac or iPad will start ringing as well. The call answering feature requires your iPhone on iOS 8 to be connected to the same Wi-Fi network as your Mac.
Incoming calls on Mac and iPad shows the caller name, number and profile picture. Calls can be answered, turning your iPad or Mac into a giant hands-free phone. You can also make calls from your Mac or iPad in the same way. SMS and MMS text messages will also appear on iPad and Mac, along with standard Messages conversations.
Wi-Fi Calling
Instead of having to make phone calls over 3G or LTE, iOS 8 has a Wi-Fi Calling feature, allowing you to send voice over a wireless network. It's designed to improve call quality due to the generally faster and less-laggy connection. In order to use this feature you have to have a mobile network that supports the technology. So far, only T-Mobile in the US has enabled the option, although we're hoping for more details tonight.
iCloud
A new Photos app and iCloud Photo Library mean you should never have to delete a photo again – so long as you're happy to pay Apple to store them for you. Once enabled on your iPhone and or iPad, iCloud Photo Library automatically stores all your image files online - the old version only kept photos for 30 days with a maximum limit of 1,000 images.
A new option, as of the most recent beta, in the iCloud Photo Library lets you choose between storing 'device optimised versions' or the original images. The 'Download and Keep Originals' option will store the full-sized original image, rather than smaller files designed for iOS. The larger files will obviously take up more space.
Any edits made to photos on one device are synced across all devices, while it is also easier to search for specific photos and albums. New editing tools to crop and straighten photos have also been added along with options for adjusting brightness, contract and exposure. iOS 8 also sees a number of new Apple filters for photos with a new time-lapse video function also available.
New Messages app
Updates to Messages include options to quickly send voice snippets and videos at the touch of a button. Group conversations can now be renamed with clear options to add and drop people into conversations.
A new Do Not Disturb button lets you mute a conversation and read through it later. Your location can be shared with other people in a conversation for just one hour, until the end of the day or indefinitely, making it easier to find friends when arranging to meet up.
Attachments in conversations can now be viewed with one tap and you can also now send multiple photos and videos at once.
Family Sharing
Up to six people can share purchases from iTunes, iBooks and the App Store without having to share the same account. Family Sharing also allows parents to pay for and approve purchases by children from their own device. The feature also makes sharing photos, a family calendar and other information easier.
Once setup, Family Sharing grants access to music, movies, TV shows, books and apps, without needing to share the same Apple ID or passwords. Collecting and sharing photos together into shared albums is also possible, while Family Sharing can share the location of family members so you can see where they are.
iCloud Drive
The new iCloud Drive finally brings comprehensive cloud storage features to iOS 8 and OSX Yosemite. You can store just about anything in iCloud Drive, providing you have sufficient space. Drag and drop what you want to store into the folder from a Mac running OSX Yosemite or even a PC running Windows 8.
Edits made to documents are synced across devices, so if you make changes to a Pages document on your Mac, those changes will also appear on your iPad and iPhone.
Improved search with Spotlight
Taking its cue from Windows 8, Apple has made a number of improvements to Spotlight in iOS 8. Search results in Spotlight now include Wikipedia articles, maps, news, nearby places, iTunes Store, App Store and iBook Store results, suggested websites and even movie showtimes.
Results are also altered depending on context and location to give more accurate and relevant suggestions. Spotlight now also works in Safari, with results appearing alongside search suggestions.
