Apple prepares to push the button on latest software update for iPhone and iPad, as developers swing into action
Is the iOS 8 update available yet? YES
iOS 8 review: customised, extended and deepened
Apple iPhone 6: thinner, faster, slightly cheaper - review
iPhone 6 Plus review: a very big phone - and it feels great
7.28pm BST
As several commenters have pointed out, the iOS 8 download may be only 1.1GB, but it needs a lot more space to install: Ive seen quotes ranging between 4.3GB and 6.9GB in the comments this presumably varies according to device.
If youre waiting for the new software to download, now may be a time to have a clearout of photos, videos and unwanted apps, if space is at a premium...
7.24pm BST
The Guardians app has an update for iOS 8 tonight, it turns out. Among the new features:
iOS 8 Handoff: start reading any article on one device and complete it on another. iOS 8 Handoff functionality available between the Guardian app on different devices, and between the app and theguardian.com.
iOS 8 widget: available within the improved notifications centre, view the top stories from the Guardian at a glance and personalise to show what is most important to you.
7.14pm BST
The now-traditional timeline of an iOS update immediately after its released. From this:
5.58pm BST
Apple has just flicked the switch: iOS 8 is available to download from the Software Update menu on your device.
5.52pm BST
App update: Asphalt 8: Airborne. Gamelofts driving game has been reworked using Apples Metal framework.
Exclusive Metal Season: Experience the exhilaration of racing against 3 TIMES as many opponents as any other Asphalt game! A season ONLY accessible on iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus or on iOS 8-updated versions of iPhone 5s, iPad Air, and iPad mini with Retina display.
5.45pm BST
App update: BuzzFeed. Its iOS app has been updated to version 4.0 with a new widget that allows you to browse trending posts in the Today view on your device, while also bookmarking them from notifications to read later.
Expect lots more news apps to launch widgets today. I suspect a lot of people will end up with crowded Today screens on their iOS device, in the same way that theyve previously said Yes to notification requests from dozens of apps, then ended up being pinged constantly.
5.41pm BST
Also getting into the Today widgets act is Clear, the British to-do app. Its going to show you what you have to do right now...
Excited about iOS 8? Want to check your Clear reminders in Today? Weve got you covered. Heres a sneak-peek pic.twitter.com/6emVCw9z2Q
5.27pm BST
One of the new features in iOS 8 is smarter predictive typing, suggesting words and phrases you might want to type next based on your past tappings (a feature familiar to users of Android apps like SwiftKey, which is also coming to iOS today).
Is this all good news? Philosopher Evan Selinger isnt so sure. In fact, hes horrified according to the New York Times:
The more we dont autonomously struggle with language, grapple to find the right word, muscle through to bend language poetically, the less were able to really treat conversation as an intentional act. As something that really expresses what were trying to say... Predicting you is predicting a predictable you. Which is itself subtracting from your autonomy. And its encouraging you to be predictable, to be a facsimile of yourself.
5.24pm BST
Trouble with HealthKit in the hours leading up to iOS 8s launch? Heres the editor of MacStories, citing two developer sources:
Apparently Apple found a HealthKit issue on their end and have temporarily removed all HealthKit compatible apps. No ETA on fixes.
5.16pm BST
6pm UK time is the anticipated release, although Apple hasnt always stuck to its timetable plans.
Back in 2008, the App Store went live a day before journalists expected it to. Cue a mass scramble to figure out whether Super Monkey Ball was more newsworthy than iBeer (or vice versa). Those were simpler days.
5.12pm BST
App update: Box, the cloud storage service for businesses. Its iOS app supports iOS 8s new app extensions, meaning that other apps can access the files youve stored in your Box account.
This is a bellwether moment for openness in the enterprise. With the App Store, Apple has created a thriving ecosystem of apps that improve and define our personal and work lives. Now, Apple is pushing the boundaries of interoperability by allowing unprecedented communication between these apps. Notably, Apple is not just enabling this communication between its own apps, but rather, opening the framework up to early partners like Box, recognizing that information must move freely for people to work the way they want.
5.07pm BST
What was that about waiting for the release of OS X Yosemite for Macs before enabling iCloud Drive? Daily Dot is claiming that Apple will hold its next press event on 21 October where it will unveil two new iPads and announce the release of OS X Yosemite.
4.53pm BST
And talking of useful iOS 8-ready apps, lets note British developer Wandle Software, which provided both ShareEverywhere and www.Cut for the Guardians testing of iOS 8. Both are super-simple, yet also very handy.
What did Wandles Stephen Darlington think of the development process?
Most of the problems I had were because it was pre-release software rather than because of difficulties with the extensions themselves. Always count on anything using beta software to take twice as long as you expect! Having said that, sharing data between the main app and the extension is harder than you might imagine, as theyre effectively treated as separate apps. And theres a bit of a Catch-22 trying to write apps that use Document Provider extensions (iCloud Drive) at this stage since there are none to use!
While it sounds like hyperbole, I think that extensions will genuinely change how we use iOS. It makes some workflows so much easier that I imagine that most iOS users will make use of extensions at some point. On the development side, my main worry is that the hooks that Apple have provided may not be sufficient for the most imaginative use cases.
4.53pm BST
App update: 1Password. The password management app isnt just getting updated for iOS 8: its going free. Well, freemium. The app will now be a free download from the App Store, with a single in-app purchase used to unlock its deeper features.
4.43pm BST
Among the forthcoming app updates that will use widgets (aka Today Extensions) to put content into the pull-down notifications panel is, yes, the Guardian app.
Heres a screenshot taken moments ago:
4.42pm BST
Whats that? Touch ID to lock individual apps is a Photoshopped fake? I knew that. Just testing *hard stare*
4.21pm BST
Im taking a short break from this blog, on account of the arrival home of a five year-old child who (mercifully) couldnt care less about software updates, whatever the platform, but is very keen on some parent time down the garden.
Ill be back for the 5pm-6pm run-up to the anticipated release, with colleagues able to step in before then if anything happens early.
4.16pm BST
MG Siegler points out that Amazon is among the first to include TouchID sign-in for its app (and also payment?) - which might be a relief for parents whose children buy too much stuff through it.
4.05pm BST
I suspect this may be the more popular messaging feature in iOS 8:
2 HOURS TIL I CAN LEAVE EVERY GROUP MESSAGE IVE EVER BEEN IN #iOS8
4.03pm BST
IOS 8 about to end so many relationships because of trust issues: pic.twitter.com/4OexcjwqFv
Maybe it will save a few relationships too? The ability to lock individual apps using Touch ID (on devices that support it, anyway) is likely to be popular among iOS users and not just those with something to hide.
3.55pm BST
App update: Runtastic Me. Another fitness app adding support for Apples Health app, as well as a new widget.
3.49pm BST
A lot of people dont update their iOS devices software until prompted by a push notification from Apple, which usually comes a few days (at least) after its release.
3.38pm BST
Coming later today: Emoji Type, a predictive emoji keyboard for iOS thats launching for the new software. Type food and itll suggest various food-related emoji. Type dog and youll get dogs, and so on. What times we live in! Etc.
3.25pm BST
@martyboy asks in the comments: Will this upgrade be ok for my iPhone 4s. I mean, will the hardware cope with it ok?
iOS 8 will run on the iPhone 4s, but set your expectations fairly low: some features designed for newer devices are missing, and others according to Ars Technica make its 3.5-inch screen feel a bit cluttered.
3.20pm BST
Getting back to that point earlier about mismatched release dates of iOS 8 for Apples smartphones and tablets, and OS X Yosemite for Macs...
The same gap was found between 2013s releases, but this year some of the changes warrant a small amount of caution.
3.17pm BST
If a liveblog for a software update strikes you as overkill, youll probably want to avoid Ars Technicas exhaustive 11-page review of iOS 8. One of its key points: openness:
Apple still holds the keys to many aspects of the iPhone and iPad user experience, but compared to past versions of the software iOS 8 represents an opening of floodgates. Dont like Apples software keyboard? Replace it. Want sports scores and updates on your eBay auctions in your Notification Center? Heres a widget, throw em in there. Want to use a social network or a cloud storage service that Apple hasnt explicitly blessed and baked into the OS? Cool. Here are some APIs for that.
3.07pm BST
TheNextWeb has a good piece on one of the keyboard replacement apps hoping to dislodge Apples own virtual keyboard under iOS 8: Fleksy. Its been available as a standalone app for a while, but can now burrow its way into the proper iOS interface:
Fleksy uses what it calls Geometric Intelligence to combat sloppy and inaccurate typing, predicting where it thinks you meant to hit on the keyboard based on your typing patterns. This should help users type more quickly in fact, Fleksy was recently used in a world record-breaking fastest texter competition.
Launching alongside iOS 8 today, Fleksy is arriving with support for more than forty languages, and multiple keyboard layouts in addition to QWERTY.
2.56pm BST
App update: News Republic. One of the many news aggregation apps on iOS has pushed out its version 4.2.1, which makes use of iOS 8s new widgets feature.
We added a brand new widget for your Today view in Notification Center, so you never miss important news. You can configure it in the settings under widget.
2.47pm BST
Some companies are experiencing teething problems with their apps and iOS 8. Dropbox, for example, which announced this yesterday:
Weve discovered that Apples new iOS 8 introduces a compatibility issue that may prevent Dropbox and Carousel from properly uploading your photos and videos. This means that only the contents of your Recently Added album will upload automatically.
If you upgrade to iOS 8, dont delete photos or videos from your devices until youre sure that your stuff has backed up to Dropbox. Please visit our Help Center for additional details on how to keep your stuff safe.
2.42pm BST
Vine users are having some fun with the iOS 8 launch, as you might expect, from dramatic interpretations of the response of iPhone 4 owners:
2.21pm BST
This is getting retweeted a lot this afternoon:
iOS 8 release times RT to pass it on pic.twitter.com/rZUG0ewlKA
2.12pm BST
Just noticed App Review removed iOS 8 and HealthKit from my keywords. Better than getting metadata rejected, I guess.
Some developers are claiming Apple is automatically removing iOS 8 from their App Store keywords.
2.08pm BST
1. Back up your device(s) first. You may already have the iCloud Backup feature turned on, but if not, you can find it under the Settings --> iCloud --> Storage & Backup menu.
2. Dont upgrade to iCloud Drive. Several sites have been warning about this in recent days: suggesting that Apples new Dropbox-ish cloud storage feature is best left until its also available in the upcoming OS X Yosemite software for Macs, sometime in October.
1.58pm BST
iOS 8 has a few important features for parents whose children are using iOS devices passed-on iPads, for example.
1.46pm BST
Historical stuff for Apple and/or linguistic geeks: heres how Apple pitched the annual updates of its iOS software, going back to when it was still known as iPhone 3.0:
iPhone 3.0 (March 2009): A major software release packed with incredible new features and innovations for iPhone customers and developers alike.
1.33pm BST
App update: MyFitnessPal. The calorie-counting app has pushed its update live with some new features for Apples HealthKit platform.
You can now add your meal summaries to HealthKit to share with other compatible apps; synchronise your weight with it; and add exercises from other HealthKit apps to your MyFitnessPal diary.
1.25pm BST
Once iOS 8 hits, one of the first things many users will do is rush to replace the default keyboard.
Swappable keyboards have been available on Android for years, and for many users they have been one of the key demonstrations of the advantages of the open nature of the platform. But with Apples new-found commitment to extensions, iOS users can now install third-party input devices for themselves.
1.18pm BST
Theres always a rush to download new iOS updates as theyre released, particularly the major point updates. But is that a wise move?
Heres International Business Times with some suggestions why you might want to wait:
1.10pm BST
App update: Pinterest. The visual social network has refreshed on the App Store with a small iOS feature: support for pinning from the Safari browser app using its Share button. The app is also optimised for the larger screens of the new iPhones fast work from Pinterest there. I suspect many developers will be scrambling to add the latter in the days ahead.
12.56pm BST
The elephant in the room today is Android.
12.45pm BST
What are other sites saying about iOS 8 in their reviews? Here are some of the verdicts so far:
Recode: This new operating system is familiar enough that youll know how to use it, while also easily learning some of its delightful new features.
12.36pm BST
Is iOS 8 worth getting? Yes, according to tech editor Charles review, which was published this morning. An extract:
As we approach the end of 2014, Apple has made iOS more customisable than ever before - bringing it closer to Androids flexibility - through Extensions. Its also added useful touches and more privacy throughout. Should you install it? This is absolutely a no-brainer. Yes, you should.
12.32pm BST
For all the speculation around Apples new products, certain aspects of its business are now predictable.
Every summer at its WWDC event, it unveils the latest major update to its iOS software, with developers getting their hands on a succession of beta builds in order to optimise their apps and take advantage of new features. Its then released to the public in the autumn, two days ahead of new iPhones going on sale.
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