Apple Reveals iOS 8

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Image: Apple

By Pete Pachal2014-06-02 17:50:44 UTC

Apple has unveiled iOS 8 at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference.

The new version of iOS, which will soon come to iPhones and iPads, includes many new features.

See also: Apple WWDC 2014 Live: Tim Cook Unveils iOS 8 and OS X 10.10

iOS 8 brings Active Notifications, enabling users the ability to respond to notifications without launching the app it comes from. Swiping notifications will bring up a pair Accept/Decline buttons.

Apple is also bringing an enhancement to the multi-tasking app screen, accessible by double-clicking the Home button. In addition to showing all apps running, the screen shows a scrolling strip of favorite contacts, identified by photos, along the top of the screen. Tap one, and you'll be able to call, message or FaceTime the contact.

Mail is enhanced, too, letting you pull down an email draft so you can perform another task while composing email. Similar to notifications, swiping an email in to the side will delete it.

The keyboard in iOS brings an upgrade that Android users will find familiar: predictive typing. As you type, suggestions for what you may type next appear above the keyboard. The suggestions can adapt depending on who you're talking to — for example, the sentence "The meeting was..." could get suggestions like "rescheduled/cancelled" for one contact and "epic/awesome" for another.

Apple unveils new software for both its mobile (iPhone and iPad) and desktop (Mac) platforms every June at WWDC. Rumors about the introductions have circulated for the past few months, including a dramatic design overhaul for OS X and a possible smart home initiative. The new software typically launches in the fall, alongside new hardware.

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Topics: apple, Apps and Software, Dev & Design, iOS, iOS 8, Mobile, Tech, WWDC, wwdc 2014