iOS 8 now available for download

ios8

Jane McEntegart

September 17, 2014 1:05pm

Apple’s newest iPhones, the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus, don’t arrive for another couple of days, but Apple is pushing iOS 8 live for current iPhone users today.

Unveiled earlier this summer and detailed at the iPhone 6 event, iOS 8 brings improvements to Messages (Tap to Talk, the ability to share several photos and videos at once, the ability to share your location, and enhancements to group messaging), as well as the Photos app (a wide variety of editing options), and predictive typing thanks to QuickType.

Totally new in iOS 8 is Apple’s Health platform, which gathers information from various different health apps and combines it in one place. The HealthKit API allows devs the ability to create apps capable of communicating with each other. There’s also HomeKit, which connects home devices, Family Sharing, for easier communication and sharing of iTunes purchases, and iCloud Drive, which adds the ability to store, access, and edit your documents from any of your devices.

ios8downloadtime

At roughly 1GB, this is the biggest iOS update yet, so those of you with 16 GB or even 32 GB iPhones might find yourself short of space. Apple says you’ll need 4.5 GB of space to install, so be sure to back everything up before you start removing pictures and videos to make room for this whopper of an update.

  • Pigs Can Fly

    downloading

    it says 6.9GB needed.

    • Abdul B

      whaaat??? screw that.

    • cs098

      only about 900 mb for me.

    • Simon Roos

      The file is the size of 900mb but it says that you’ll need 4.5 GB to install.

    • cs098

      Oh now I see it, but it’s kinda weird, it doesn’t actually take 4.5 gigs of space. Wonder why they do it.

    • ShaBi

      Needs free space for temp installation files.

    • Okay, do the update through iTunes.

    • Me Ted

      “through iTunes”

      lol

    • Plug it in, hit the “update” button, wait a few minutes, done. Not very difficult.

    • Abdul B

      THrough itunes says 1.45gb. I guess not so bad but still wondering if its worth it for the ipad 2. Worried it might affect performance and battery.

    • thomas nguyen

      i wouldnt, ipad 2 was laggy after ios 7 :/ think about added resources in ios 8…. i would wait a few days to see what people say before upgrading.

    • Abdul B

      hmm I have ios 7 but its not laggy. However you’re right I’ll wait for others to test it lol. I just really want it for the third party keyboards.

    • Me Ted

      Of course. Because iTunes isn’t routinely maligned by just about everyone on the planet.

    • Only by geeks who wish they could use something like Winamp instead.

      Still better than BlackBerry Link/Desktop Software, Samsung Kies, LG PC Suite (of which there’s a different version for every model of phone they make), etc.

    • Me Ted

      No. No it’s not. Good God lol

    • Jonah Emery

      About 1 GB for me.

    • waso

      ….meanwhile, blackberry fanbois are left with a broken OS with NO native apps and have to result to using fandroid fanbois apps and still call their turdberry’s “secure” LMAO~~

    • SinkyChan

      oh man people are still better about other phone choices? lol

  • Takobo

    I am glad that I got a 64GB, downloading….

  • Yermum

    Let the complaints from non apple users begin!

    • Jonathan Leduc

      Grr. I am a non apple user and this is a comment to complain!

    • Cristhian Mejia

      I’m an Apple user and it SUCKS eat that i***t.

    • Curtis Jones

      Most non apple users wouldn’t complain so much if apple users didn’t portray the ‘snob appeal’. To date, I’ve yet to meet an apple user who can provide a justified argument that hasn’t included some sort of fallacy

    • alphs22

      Snob appeal? Apple users are moms, grandparents, kids, and average joes who couldn’t care less about the phones that other people use.

      >To date, I’ve yet to meet an apple user who can provide a justified argument that hasn’t included some sort of fallacy

      Why do people need to justify their purchasing decisions to you?

    • Curtis Jones

      Apple is smart. They have formed their products and their design to exploit the feeling that we are aritocrats at heart, that we could very well belong to a very specific part of society. Their use of glamor in advertisements is one of the many reasons people love their products.
      You mis-read the argument however that was initially stated by “Yermum”. I was not asking him nor anyone else to justify their purchases, but how people with an Apple product portrays themselves in society. “Other” users complain with so much error in their reasoning, it’s sad. We get it… Apple has done well, and there’s a ton of evidence to prove it.

    • alphs22

      > Their use of glamor in advertisements is one of the many reasons people love their products.

      I don’t understand. The last few Apple commercials I’ve seen are of people running and using fitness trackers, a kid making a video at Christmas, etc. Their other commercials are of a finger swipping apps and playing video games. If showing functionality is glamorous, then most other advertisers would also be guilty.

      > how people with an Apple product portrays themselves in society

      How exactly do soccer moms and grandparents and average joes with iPhones or iPods portray themselves that bother you?

    • Curtis Jones

      Correct! Most advertisers are guilty of using it, if not all of them. It’s a very intillegent marketing strategy, that’s what I explained in my first post. However, It’s this reflection of the strategy by its users that spawn irrelevant arguments between “apple users” and “non apple users”.

      >How exactly do soccer moms and grandparents and average joes with iPhones or iPods portray themselves that bother you?

      You’re also not addressing the issue or point that the OP was stating, but to respond to this question, I would like you to provide the average usage statistic of a “mom, grandparent and average joe” with an iPhone. From my understanding the average iPhone user is between 25-32? I’d have to do some research to clarify it. Your question is invalid compared to the original topic.

    • Jonathan Leduc

      To answer both of the comments above,

      Apple’s marketing strategy is to place themselves in the high point, high end market. They want to transpire luxury. So Curtis Jones is right on point with his comment.

      Soccer moms and average joes but low end devices. If they don’t it’s because Apple buys publicities so much they think it’s the only product on the market.Grandparents buy whatever their grandson tells them. My grandma has an Android tablet.

      The Apple ads portray people playing sports and filming videos because they have a marketing plan that placed them as a “device for higher society” first and now that this picture is in everyone’s head, they move on to targeting broader public. If you would’ve studied marketing, you would probably understand what I am saying. You have to target an audience and figure out your product placement. Apple is extremely good at doing this. They could come out with the worst looking phone on the market, give it to singers and football players and you would buy it. Because, when you buy the iPhone, you feel superior. Even the dude passing the broom in the Apple store will congratulate you.

      It’s all part of a very successful marketing scheme. THAT is what Apple is good at. They don’t innovate anymore and they sure as hell don’t come out with product that “redefine” the smartphone market. It’s the same old phone with a bigger screen and processor. That’s it. They’ve had 1 go of ram in their phones for 4 generations now.

      Also, I know you’ll probably tell me I’m wrong so don’t sweat it.

    • alphs22

      > Because, when you buy the iPhone, you feel superior.

      Got some inferiority complex? I felt no different buying the iPhone vs my Android phones and tablets.

      > The Apple ads portray people playing sports and filming videos because they have a marketing plan that placed them as a “device for higher society”

      You got some serious inferiority complex. You’re seriously insinuating that people who jog and use their phone cameras to capture family reunions are “higher society”? Or maybe you just failed marketing class.

      > It’s the same old phone with a bigger screen and processor.

      Trend in smartphone industry as a whole for the last few years.

      > They’ve had 1 go of ram in their phones for 4 generations now.

      Optimized software. Doesn’t impact real world usage or performance. Pointless argument.

    • Jonathan Leduc

      See, the thing you really didn’t stop yourself to think about is the fact that you obviously know nothing about marketing. See, in the marketing world, it’s all about stereotypes. And yes, to this day, they work.

      I don’t really mind if you don’t get it. But, yes, when you go and buy a product, there is always an emotion attached to it. Always. iPhone have always been regarded as a device used by celebrities and people from society that are put on a pedestal.

      One thing I’d like to point out is that instead of talking about my point, you just decided to tell me I have an inferiority complex. Which just goes on to prove you don’t really have well constructed arguments to give me so you attack my person directly instead. That’s fine.

      I suggest you go read up on marketing techniques and such and you will see the power of a good marketing campaign on people’s emotions. I’m not even debating iPhones with you anymore. We are at an all other level… Marketing is a powerful thing. So powerful, in fact, that if it wasn’t for that, you probably wouldn’t be arguing with me right now.

      Also, for the sake of it, I feel very superior with my LG phone. I don’t care. I’m the king.

    • alphs22

      Let me guess, you took one marketing class in university and now feel like you’re qualified to lecture strangers on the internet?

      But I’ll bite, let’s talk about their marketing.

      You got the part right about people’s emotional connection. The whole underlying theme for iPhone advertising has been that the phone is an intimate part of your life, that it helps you connect with the ones you love. That’s why you see parents talking to their kids on FaceTime, taking photos and videos, sharing said photos and videos, etc.

      However:

      You’re completely off base with your “device for higher society” BS. Your argument is so baseless and wrong, it’s quite comical. Still don’t understand how taking family photos and using your phone as a fitness tracker is portraying some notion of a “higher society”.

      A phone that takes photos and counts your steps? How pretentious!

    • Jonathan Leduc

      I think you didn’t read my first reply properly.

      The iPhone was positioned that way when it first came out. Once it was clear in everyone’s mind, they switched to family oriented and simplified ads.

      But, I’m happy to see we have some points where we agree. I see your point and I think your opinion is not wrong. Agree to disagree?

  • Abdul B

    Should I download if I has ipad 2??

  • Jonathan Leduc

    Actually, I was told the update was 1.1Go and it requires 5Go of available space to install. The iPhone user that told me this was very mad she had to delete her pictures to install it :p

    • Pigs Can Fly

      Tell me she uploaded them to iCloud first or moved them to the PC before doing that? LOL

    • Jonathan Leduc

      I sure hope so! I didn’t ask :p

  • spammenotdisqus

    Prepare for your 4S to grind to a halt like most apple updates do to older hardware. And the update to iOS8 is basically in name-only since they restrict l most features to newer devices.

  • Thankfully everybody gets this on day 1 instead of having to wait for manufacturer approval, then carrier approval.

    • Me Ted

      I wouldn’t know. I have a Nexus device.

  • AReid

    Currently downloading on iPad Mini…looks like it takes just under 1hr to download.

  • Me Ted

    Can’t wait to try it on my Galaxy Nexus! So excited.

    • GuyM

      IOS 8 is a piece of crap. Don’t even load on my gnote 😉

  • Walt

    16 gigs, what a joke… get an android phone.

    • HD Z

      Yeh with an SD card, that most users never use.

    • GuyM

      Most user ever use…. Ho boy…..

    • Walt

      64 gig that it’s full, yes i use it.

  • Pigs Can Fly

    Wow this must be OS Update day, not only are we getting iOS updates, but my 2 Android devices are getting OS updates and my two Sony Bravia TV’s getting software updates too.

  • waso

    ….meanwhile, blackberry fanbois are left with a broken OS with NO native apps and have to result to using fandroid fanbois apps and still call their turdberry’s “secure” LMAO

  • Guest

    I installed 8 on my iPad 3, tested it, then quickly downgraded back to 7.1.2, I don’t have many apps installed and not many background services running, there was random slow downs such as curser didnt keep up with typing, slow launching of apps, the list goes on, I also rebooted 5 times at the beginning as it may need it, Im not sue but I did it anyways, ios 8 is defiantly an ipad 2 killer.

    What used to be on the right side is now on the left, its like they made the change just to call it a change, I there are things that used to need one input, now needs 2 because of some useless effect they put in, I found many of the changes on the childish side, but this my opinion.

    • thomas nguyen

      at least they give you the option of downgrading again. not like the ios 6 to ios 7 is a one way street.

  • MXH070

    LOS ANGELES — Surprise: the download of iOS 8 isn’t going as smoothly as you hoped it would.

    For starters, despite past updates that required 1 GB of space, the Twitterverse is afire with users scrambling for space for iOS 8, with Apple asking for anywhere from 4.7 to 5.8 GBs of free space to make room for the new operating system.

    “That’s practically my entire storage,” tweets Pat Toomey of Brick, N.J.

    Freeing up space is a big issue for folks who own iPhones and iPads that start with 16 GB of storage. Freeing up 5 GB of space means massive deletion of photos and music.

    One of the most touted features of iOS8, the Healthkit app, which taps into various health apps like MyFitnessPal, Fitbit and heart rate monitors, to put all the information in one place, got delayed. It’s not available in iOS8 due to a bug.

    “I don’t even have 1 GB available,” tweets Kaitlin Quinton. “Guess I ain’t getting it.”

    So many Twitter users have complained about massive deletes, they also joke about it. Beyond 5.8 GB of storage, Apple also wants your social security, a kidney, two pints of blood, and you must give up chocolate for two months,” tweets Becca Cantor.