iOS 8 is here and not only do we have your complete iOS 8 review to tell you everything you need to know, but a ton of iOS 8 tips and how-tips ready and waiting to help you out. But if you don’t have time for all that, if you just need to know the most important tips and tricks now, now, now, then this top 10 list is for you!
How to Battery Usage Apps on iOS 8
iOS 8 will apparently display battery usage by app, a handy feature that will let users monitor the battery drain of specific apps, shutting down those that are drawing too much power.
To check how much battery your apps use up, go to Settings -> General -> Usage -> Battery Usage. At the bottom, you’ll see options for checking your battery usage in the last 24 hours or for the last 7 days.
Tap Double Your Home Button to Access Recent Contacts Faster in iOS 8
Apple has also changed the double tap feature on the home button. Previously with iOS 7, double tapping the home button brought up the multitasking screen where we can access apps.
Your most recent contact, whether by call or message, will be the first to show in this list, with up to eight contacts showing at a time. Tapping on a contact will provide several options for action, including mobile call, text message, and FaceTime audio and video calls. Source : Great iPhone Apps
The iOS 8 Beta 3 is set to arrive in developers' hands on July 8, according to reports.
Apple is set to release the third beta version of the new iOS 8 next week. The two previous beta versions were released on June 2 and 17, respectively. Reports added that the upcoming beta version will be the final beta update of the mobile software before it will release the official version of the iOS in the fall.
iOS 8 Beta 3 includes updates and fixes from the previous version. The beta versions are meant for developers to develop or update their apps to run smoothly to the new iOS.
Apple provided a preview of the new iOS 8 last month at the Worldwide Developers' Conference (WWDC) and the new OS is bound to arrive in the fall.
Some of the software features included in the new iOS are updates to the photos, iMessage and the keyboard applications. The search function, Spotlight, and iCloud will also be improved. iOS 8 will also pack the much awaited Health application to manage the health information of the user such as heart monitor, BMI and track medications.
However, there are some users who were itching to run their devices to the new OS, which is not advisable since the OS is still in testing stage and users may come across bugs and issues that may cause the breakdown of their devices, especially if they are not tech savvy to save their units.
Meanwhile, Apple is currently rolling out the iOS 7.1.2, which brings bug fixes and security updates. The software update also fix issues on iBeacon connectivity and stability, data transfer for some 3rd party accessories, including bar code scanners, and data protection class of Mail attachments.
Apple users can go to Settings > General > Software Update to check out iOS 7.1.2. Users can also update their devices manually by heading to iTunes. The update is available to iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, iPhone 5S, iPhone 5C, iPad 2, iPad 4, iPad Air, iPad Mini, iPad Mini Retina, iPod Touch 5th Gen. source
UPDATED Many think iOS 7 is good. We think it can be even better.
When Apple unveiled iOS 7, CEO Tim Cook called it the "biggest change since the iPhone". The OS received a major visual and interaction overhaul, along with a slew of new features.
The OS should arrive in the hands of consumers around October 2013, and in the meantime Apple has already released several beta versions, one of which radically altered the system's typography.
One clue as to what will be on offer in iOS 8 came in the form of an Apple Maps patent, which would see new interactive layers applied to the dogged Maps app.
We've also heard a lot of chatter about Healthbook, an app that Apple is supposedly readying to come pre-installed in iOS 8. Word is that the app will monitor and store fitness information like steps taken, miles walked and weightloss etc. Does that mean it could play nicely with the iWatch?
Still, there are many other things we'd like to see Apple change by the time iOS 8 rolls around later in 2014 - although in some cases we've gpt a sneaking suspicion Apple would disagree.
1. Change and hide default iOS apps
We'd love to be able to choose non-Apple alternatives for handling email, browsing and maps, but doubt it'll happen. However, Apple not providing the means to hide preinstalled apps you don't use is an irritant that goes back to the very first iPhone.
Even if there was a similar 'parental controls' trick for hiding apps to the one on the Apple TV, that'd be good enough.
2. A guest/child account
Apple's mantra is everyone should own their own device. That's lovely, but not everyone's pockets are as deep as those of Apple board members.
OS X-style user accounts are unlikely, but it can't be beyond Apple to provide a single-tap child account or a guest account that doesn't affect your settings and data, and doesn't retain settings or data of its own.
3. Better iOS app management
As of iOS 7, Apple automates app updates, but it should go further. Devs wrestle with iCloud app data, but this should be child's play to save and also (optionally) restore whenever you reinstall an app.
And the App Store itself should offer trials and paid version updates (rather than devs being forced to use IAP or 'replacement' apps as a workaround).
4. Stronger inter-app communications
One of the weakest elements of iOS is inter-app communication. If a service bumps you to another app, you're not always returned when you've finished performing an action.
Worse, when making document edits across several apps workflow can be a nightmare with document copies in various states strewn throughout individual app sandboxes.
5. Better document management
Following on from the previous point, iOS should introduce at least some kind of centralised access to documents. Right now, Dropbox is a surrogate file system because iCloud is a bunch of silos.
It's absurd that you can't easily attach documents within Mail in an OS that boasts a version number of 7. The lack of collaboration opportunities within iCloud document workflow is also disappointing.
6. Group FaceTime calls
This isn't specifically tied to iOS, but Apple's mobile platform is where FaceTime began life, and although the one-to-one model is great, it's about time you could call several people at once, rather than a group having to crowd around an iPhone.
7. iOS notifications like in OS X Mavericks
In OS X Mavericks, notifications are interactive - get a message and you can deal with it there and then, rather than leaving the app you're in. This is even more important on iOS, and so we hope Apple adds similar functionality on mobile. Google does it with aplomb, so we want to see the same here.
8. More Do Not Disturb options
Do Not Disturb gained extra power in iOS 7, enabling you to silence notifications only when a device is locked. Bizarrely, it still retains only a single schedule though. Is it beyond Apple to enable you to at least set one for weekdays and a separate one for weekends?
9. Better text manipulation
Apple's text-selection, cut, copy and paste seemed elegant when it was introduced, but only compared to disastrous equivalents on competing mobile systems.
Today, it comes across as awkward, and it's a barrier to usability for far too many people. We'd like to see a rethink from Apple and more usable and intuitive ways of dealing with text.
10. Two-up apps
We love the focus iOS provides, but there are times when we'd like to work with two apps at once. Much like messing with default apps, we doubt Apple will ever go down this path, but OS X Mavericks now has a more powerful full-screen mode for multiple monitors.
So there's perhaps the slightest hope a multi-screen mode might one day arrive for the iPad or a larger iPhone, and would be one in the eye for all those Samsung owners out there.
Apple's bought camera sensors from Sony before, and this year we're going to see a new, 13-megapixel sensor that takes up less room without compromising image quality. But that's not what everybody thinks.
The China Post, quoting a tip from the country's Nomura Security, claims that the next iPhone won't go for a 12 or 16-megapixel sensor, instead sticking to the existing 8-megapixel unit. However, with more recent rumors believing that Apple has signed up to use a new material that will dramatically improve the quality of light trickling into the phone, a 10MP+ sensor suddenly seems a lot more likely.
On top of that, more impressive tech will also help make your snaps stand out. A patent confirms this, saying Apple's aim is to use "voice coil motor actuators" to move the lens around the optical axis.
An Apple patent, uncovered by Apple Insider in May 2013, shows a system where an iPhone can remotely control other illuminating devices - extra flashes. It would work in a similar manner to that seen in professional photography studios. Interesting stuff.
Will the iPhone 6 be handy for pro photographers? [Image credit: Apple Insider]
iPhone 6 Sapphire crystals
GT Advanced Technologies provides crystal grow equipment and materials for consumer electronics, among other industries and has announced that it's signed a multi-year supply agreement with Apple to provide sapphire materials.
Sapphire has figured prominently in recent Apple products - the iPhone 5S' Touch ID fingerprint reader features a cut sapphire crystal cover and the iPhone 5 was the first to feature a sapphire crystal lens.So what will we see in the iPhone 6? Certainly the Touch ID fingerprint reader, but also other scratch-proof materials - as we said, possibly the display, which makes a lot of sense.
GT says it will own and operate the machinery to produce this stuff at a new Apple plant in Arizona.
Apple has also filed a "Sapphire Windows" patent (discovered by Appleinsider) which details the numerous methods of growing, harvesting and polishing transparent sapphire wafers, then cutting them with advanced lasers.
Sappire Windows
iPhone 6 wireless charging
Wireless charging still isn't mainstream. Could Apple help give it a push? CP Tech reports that Apple has filed a patent for efficient wireless charging, but then again Apple has filed patents for pretty much anything imaginable.
The tasty bit of this particular patent is that Apple's tech wouldn't just charge one device, but multiple ones. Here are more details on the iPhone 6 wireless charging patent.
Meanwhile, a further Apple patent seems to imply that future iPhones will be able to adjust volume as you move them away from your ear.
It's been suggested that there could even be three size variants of the new iPhone - check out these mocked up images by artist Peter Zigich, and that makes sense seeing as the iPhone 5C will need a sequel.
He calls the handsets iPhone 6 Mini, iPhone 6 & iPhone 6 XL (these look rather like the iPhone 5C variant though).
However, as ZDNet rightly points out, different size variants aren't exactly easy to just magic out of thin air.
You can expect more premium metal to come your way with the iPhone 6 too, and Apple patents for liquidmetal 3D printing suggest there may be a new way to form the sultry chassis on the new iPhone.
Writing in early January 2014, MacRumors quotes a batch of liquidmetal patents reportedly filed by Apple employees.
This has been doing the rounds for a while though, and apparently it's a tricky material to work with.
That chassis could well be the thinnest yet - with word that Apple will slim down the svelte 7.6mm 5S body for the iPhone 6, and if leaked images of the phone's case are legit the handset may well be shockingly slender.
Credit: C-Tech
An unbreakable display
Here's an interesting one: Apple looks like it's signed a big deal to use a lot of sapphire glass in its phones, with the company buying up the technology to use the super-hard technology for its displays.
Sapphire is already used by the Cupertino brand for its TouchID sensor cover and the camera glass, so extending it out makes a lot of sense. Whether it will be cost effective remains to be seen - but given iPhones are one of the top device for broken screen repair, reducing this problem would go down nicely.
And what's this? NFC in an iPhone? About time too. Well, that's what iDownloadblog reckons, quoting Jefferies analyst Peter Misek. Many Android phones now boast NFC and Apple appears to have been happy to be left behind here, so we can't see it suddenly rocking the contactless technology when it appears to be on the wane.
And what about a bit more space to sling our content? We've already seen a 128GB iPad, so why not a 128GB iPhone 6? Yes, it'll cost a fortune, but high-spending early adopters love this stuff.
It could save your life - with iOS 8
With iOS 7 heading out of the traps now, who's betting against the next iPhone coming with iOS 8?
We'd expect a September or October release date for iOS 8 in line with previous releases - although it's likely we'll see what the new software will entail from June this year.
And owning one could definitely make you healthier, as Apple has apparently met with the FDA, according to the New York Times, to chat about the increased health-tracking software it will use in iOS 8. This will very likely be in association with the iWatch, which should debut at the same time as the new platform.
However, the new iPhone will need to be a posterchild for the technology too, so from tracking your prescriptions to monitoring your health levels, we very much expect Apple to bring its new handset to the healthy fore as well.
iPhone 6 processor
Not a huge surprise, this one: the next processor one will be a quad-core A8 or an evolved A7. The big sell here is more power with better efficiency, which should help battery life.
Anyone hoping for some juicy Samsung technology hidden under the iPhone 6 body will be disappointed though, as reports suggest Apple is looking to push its Korean rival further out of the iPhone picture with its eighth-gen handset.
Apple is apparently cutting the amount of A8 processors it is having made by Samsung, although it hasn't severed ties completely just yet.
The new iPhone could be one of the most pivotal devices in the Cupertino brand's history - with the the iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C simple updates to previous models, there's a lot of pressure heaped on the iPhone 6.
As per usual, the internet is awash with rumor, speculation and downright lies over this next-generation handset, which is why we spend our time trawling through each nugget of info, debating its merits and curating it into this easy-to-read hub for all things iPhone 6
Some of you might have been expecting the iPhone 6 to have debuted in 2013, but given the iPhone's history - from the 3G onwards, there's always been a half-step S model before the next numbered iPhone - we were never going to get the 6 until 2014. In fact, it will technically be the iPhone 8 by that point... but hey, who's counting these days?
One thing is for sure, with the Samsung Galaxy S5, HTC One 2 and Sony Xperia Z2 just around the corner, Apple will need to be on its game with the new handset - and many believe a bigger screen is simply a must.
iPhone 6 release date
The iPhone 6 release date will be in 2014, although exactly when that will be in the year is still a little unclear.
Here's what we think is most likely to happen: at WWDC in June this year we'll see the obvious release of iOS 8, but also a larger-screened iPhablet as Apple looks to bring itself to the fore in Asian markets and rivalling the likes of the Galaxy Note 3.
We'd have usually given this kind of rumor a wide berth, but multiple reports have spoken of a larger device from Apple at the June event, so we're starting to give them some credence. At the very least, Apple is definitely testing it, but may not bring it to market.
After that, Apple will launch the iPhone 6 in September, along with the iWatch and the first view of iOS 8, to allow it to both bring a new product to market as well as keeping its schedule safe. This is backed up by KDB Daewoo Securities, which does have a decent record in Apple early leaks.
Apple has launched the last few iPhones at a special event in September, so the smart money is on September 2014 for the iPhone 6's arrival but won't be the only mobile hardware we see from the firm this year.
Lost home button?
According to Business Insider, of the many iPhone 6 prototypes Apple has made, one has a giant Retina+ IGZO display and a "new form factor with no home button. Gesture control is also possibly included." It will surely include Apple's new Touch ID finger print tech though?
The Retina+ Sharp IGZO display would have a 1080p Full HD resolution. It's also been widely reported that Apple could introduce two handset sizes as it seeks to compete with the plethora of Android devices now on the market.
We reckon there will be two screen sizes and resolutions, as mentioned above. A Full HD display makes perfect sense for the iPhone 6, especially if it grows to a 4.7-inch screen as mooted, and the iPhablet will push things even further to preserve the Retina experience on a larger display.
In other areas, patents show that Apple has been thinking about magical morphing technology that can hide sensors and even cameras. Will it make it into the iPhone 6? Probably not.
That said, there's still a small possibility of the iPhone 6 sporting a flexible wraparound display after more patents were uncovered, but we reckon that's more likely to feature on the iPhone 7 or 8 instead.
Back in September last year, rumors pointed to a 6-inch display, with further talk of a phablet sized 6-inch iPhone claiming it might arrive as early as May 2014 - which jives nicely with the above chat on an iPhablet.
![Sapphire Windows: coming to an iPhone near you [Credit: Apple Insider]](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_vOrmlu8LnyzgiGEwHArAOx1tRnfrAwJdYvlfx6787UxTxoFRGVNRVqbwhAHLYcKWEKRuzS307N9MT0KQkcQBSh2o47GD07jQkGScsf5P-Ry-x4YGSJiWZnBVMMu7z46GVrytY57KLKzr-ebM6JuMaDXxuGf94KF9mrPhzsPal4r5f8hl2s8Xoj3g06xlT5jg=s0-d)
