iOS 8 Released: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know

iOS 8 is finally here, just days before the iPhone 6 hits stores. Learn all about the features of this new OS for iPhone, iPad, and iPod.

Want to see all our iPhone 6 coverage in one place? Go here to read more iPhone 6 news.

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1. iOS 8 Is Available to Download Now

Check out a walkthrough of iOS 8 in the video above.

Here’s a guide to downloading iOS 8. Make sure your device has ample space to download the new version of iOS. You can start the download process by visiting your Settings app and going to “General.” You will need to have 5.8GB free on your phone in order to download the update.

Mac Rumors notes that “it may take a few minutes for the update to propagate to all users due to demand. In past years, Apple’s servers have been overwhelmed with traffic.”

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2. iOS 8 Launched 2 Days Before the iPhone 6

See how the new iPhone 6 and 6 Plus complete with the Apple iPhone 5S in Mashable’s speed test video above.

iOS 8 has been made available just two days before the iPhone 6 hits stores. The iPhone 6 will have special abilities within iOS 8 that other phones will not, most notably the support of Apple Pay. As we reported in our article about the iPhone 6’s price, there are multiple versions of the iPhone 6. The iPhone 6 comes in three storage options: the 16GB ($199), the 64GB ($299), and the 128GB ($399). The 6 Plus has three options, too: the 16GB ($299), the 64GB ($399), and the 128GB ($499).

By getting iOS 8 out into the wild before the iPhone 6 launches, Apple will be able to diagnose any issues with iOS 8 and hopefully release any last-minute patches before millions of iPhone fans start using their new iPhone 6.

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3. iOS 8 Is Packed With New Features

Check out a preview of QuickBoard, a new iOS 8 typing app.

There are lots of new features to explore, including a new keyboard, Handoff functionality, enhanced Siri functionality, and the ability to send audio messages. There are also going to be some cool new health and fitness features. Early next year, the Apple Watch will debut, adding a whole new level of fun to the iOS 8 experience.

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4. OS X Yosemite and iOS 8 Are Designed to Work Together

MacRumors notes that a big selling point of iOS is its ability to play nice with OS X Yosemite, the new operating system for Mac computers:

“OS X Yosemite and iOS 8 have been designed to work together, with several new features that increase the integration between the two operating systems.

Handoff, for example, lets a user start a task on one device and then switch to another. A person might writing an email on the iPhone, and then pick up where they left off when sitting down at a Mac. A user can browse the web on the Mac and then continue browsing the same website on the go on the iPad.

This feature is enabled automatically, so long as all devices are signed into the same iCloud account. Handoff works with apps like Mail, Safari, Pages, Numbers, Keynote, Maps, Messages, Reminders, Calendar, and Contacts, and it can be built into third-party apps.

iPads and Macs are now able to connect directly to an iPhone’s personal hotspot when it is nearby using a new Instant Hotspot feature.”

Yosemite is still in beta, but it is expected to get a full release later this fall. You can learn more about Yosemite’s cool features and bold new look in our guide to Yosemite’s features.

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5. Some iOS 8 Apps Aren’t Working Perfectly Yet

Check out some iOS 8 camera features in the video above.

Mac Rumors notes that some high-profile app extensions aren’t working properly within iOS 8. Apple is expected to have these issues sorted out by the time iOS 8 gets a public release. Here is a rundown of some of the issues:

“One example is OmniFocus 2 for iPhone, which will include an extension to add an OmniFocus list of tasks to the ‘Today’ view in Notification Center. In the iOS 8-optimized version of OmniFocus 2 released over the weekend and a bug fix released yesterday, the Today view is currently not being properly populated with data from OmniFocus itself.

A similar issue is occurring with popular calculator app PCalc, and both issues appear to be related to code signing on Apple’s end. PCalc developer James Thomson has been in touch with Apple and received word that the company is indeed working on the problem.”

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