10 Things to Know About the iOS 8.4 Update

mercredi 1 juillet 2015

10 Things to Know About the iOS 8.4 Update is a post by Adam Mills from Gotta Be Mobile.

The iOS 8.4 update for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch is here which means that we’ve seen a flurry of new details emerge in the hours after its release. With that in mind, we take a look at 10 of the most important things to know now about the iOS 8.4 update and release.

Earlier this week, after weeks of silence, Apple confirmed the iOS 8.4 release date for June 30th and the iOS 8.4 release time for 8AM PST. On cue, Apple delivered its iOS 8.4 update and Apple Music to iOS 8 users around the world.

iOS 8.4 is an extremely interesting update. Not only does it come with a revamped Music application and Apple’s new streaming music platform, it also comes with some notable improvements to iBooks and some bug fixes for annoying iOS 8 problems. It’s a substantial update and one that iPhone and iPad users across the planet have already installed.

As many of you know, the life of an iOS update extends well beyond the initial release date and we’ve already seen a number of new and important iOS 8.4 update details emerge in the aftermath of its release.

Today, we want to outline that information as we share the most important details you should know about as we push away from the iOS 8.4 release date.

iOS 8.4 vs. iOS 8.3

The first thing you’ll want to do is get familiar with iOS 8.4’s features and how the update compares to Apple’s previous iOS 8 update, iOS 8.3.

iOS 8.4 vs iOS 8.3: What’s New in iOS 8.4

Apple Music Streaming

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The new Apple Music app includes the new Apple Music streaming service designed to take on Spotify, Pandora and other services. The iOS 8.4 update enables this new app and includes a free three-month trial of the Apple Music service.

With Apple Music you can pay $9.99 a month for an individual or $14.99 a month for a family of up to six members and enjoy full albums on demand and save music for offline playback.

Apple Music uses your musical tastes to pick new music that you might enjoy listening to in a new For You section of the music app that will help you find new music to listen to. The video above shows how this works.

This new app replaces the Music app from iOS 8 and earlier. Apple is not adding another app you cannot install from the iPhone or iPad, just updating one that is already on your device.

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The slideshow above will take you through the biggest changes and highlight what you need to know before you make the move from iOS 8.3 to iOS 8.4. Apple Music is a huge part of the iOS 8.4 update but it’s not the only feature included in Apple’s brand new upgrade.

iOS 8.4 Impressions

We’ve been putting together our initial impressions of the iOS 8.4 update to provide feedback to those who haven’t installed. They also might help those of you that have already made the move to iOS 8.4.

So far, we’ve covered the iOS 8.4 update for the iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 5s, iPhone 5, and iPad Air. We’ve collected feedback from iPhone 4s users in an effort to provide clarity to those of you who still own the aging device.

These are our initial impressions not our full reviews and we’ll be back later this week with some more concrete opinions about Apple’s brand new iOS 8 update so be sure to keep an eye out.

7 Reasons to Install iOS 8.4 & 5 Reasons Not To

The iOS 8.4 is an extremely tempting update. You can’t get Apple Music without it and the changes that Apple made to iBooks are useful if you use that application a lot. There’s two sides to the coin though.

While there are plenty of reasons to consider installing the iOS 8.4 update right now, there are also some reasons to think about avoiding it for the time being.

Remember, Apple never forces you to install an iOS release. You have plenty of time to gather feedback and decide which option is best for you. iOS 8.4 and Apple Music aren’t going anywhere.

Apple Music Impressions

Apple Music is obviously a huge part of iOS 8.4. The update brings the new streaming music platform and a three month trial, changes to iTunes Radio, and a new look to an application that comes stock on the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch.

It’s a new service with lots of moving parts but we’ve been digging into Apple Music to provide feedback to those of you that are interested in the service but might not be interested in downloading iOS 8.4.

The new Apple Music app is a major part of iOS 8.4.

These are impressions, not a final review, but they might help push you over the fence, one way or the other. Be sure to check them out before dismissing Apple’s new platform or committing to it over another service.

One other note. We’ve seen a lot of iPhone 4 users complaining about the fact that they’re unable to access Apple Music. We’ve put together a few important details about that situation and they’re worth a look if you’re feeling frustrated by Apple’s decision not to include the iPhone 4 in the mix for Apple Music.

iOS 8.4 Jailbreak Details

In June, developers released an iOS 8.3 jailbreak for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. After its release, many people believed that hackers would also release an iOS 8.4 jailbreak shortly after its release to the public. As it turns out, those suspicions were warranted.

An iOS 8.4 jailbreak is now available. If you’re interested in jailbreaking your phone or tablet, we’ve put together a guide that will take you through the entire process.

And like we did for the iOS 8.4 update itself, we’ve also put together some reasons why you might want to jailbreak iOS 8.4 and some reasons why you might want to hold off. Take a look at those reasons if you’re unsure.

iOS 8.4 Jailbreak Impressions

We’ve also begun putting together our initial impressions of the iOS 8.4 jailbreak on key devices. Thus far, we’ve covered the iOS 8.4 jailbreak and performance on the iPhone 6. We also went into depth with the iOS 8.3 jailbreak on the iPhone 6. Take a look at those if you want some feedback before jailbreaking.

iOS 8.4 Problems

The iOS 8.4 update delivers new features, enhancements and fixes for iOS 8 problems. However, according to iPhone and iPad users, it also brings some problems of its own.

iOS 8.4 problems have been popping up in the past 24 hours with iPhone and iPad users complaining about everything from bad iOS 8.4 battery life to installation issues to problems with Apple Music.

Most of these issues are small and isolated to a few users. So far, we haven’t seen any widespread iOS 8.4 problems afflicting iPhone and iPad. Still, you’ll want to proceed to the iOS 8.4 update with a bit of caution.

It’s difficult to predict how an update might run on your device so be careful, take your time, and gather feedback before making a move to iOS 8.4.

Fixes for iOS 8.4 Problems

In response to these iOS 8.4 problems, we’ve put together some fixes that will come in handy.

If you’re running into bad iOS 8.4 battery life issues, take a look at this list of fixes and tips. If you are running into an iCloud Music Library Can’t be Enabled Error, you’ll find a fix for that problem here. And if you are dealing with issues upgrading from the public iOS 8.4 beta, you’ll find the right steps to take right here.

We haven’t offered a full length list of fixes for common iOS 8.4 problems yet though this list of fixes for common iOS 8.3 problems will probably help if you notice issues with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or performance after downloading iOS 8.4.

You Can Downgrade to iOS 8.3

You can trial iOS 8.4 if you want. What we mean by that is you can download it and drop back down to iOS 8.3 if it doesn’t meet your standards.

You cannot move back down to anything older than iOS 8.3 so you’ll want to do your homework if you’re on iOS 8.2 or below. You won’t be able to go back.

Take a look at this guide if you think you might want to downgrade. And remember, the loophole will probably be open for two weeks or so before it closes up.

iOS 9 vs. iOS 8.4

Finally, if you want to take a look at how iOS 8 (and iOS 8.4) compares to iOS 9, you’ll want to take a long look at the slideshow below.

iOS 9 vs iOS 8 Walkthrough: What’s New in iOS 9

iOS 9 vs iOS 8 Walkthrough - Home Screen

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iOS 9 vs iOS 8 Walkthrough - Home Screen

The image above shows that the iOS 9 home screen looks very much like the one on iOS 8. This is not surprising, but you will notice one major change to this screen.

The new iOS 9 font on the home page carries over through settings and apps. It's surprising how much the look of the system can change with a small tweak to a new font.

From the home screen you can now swipe left to a new search screen, and you can still swipe down to Spotlight from any of the home screen pages.

Apple adds two new default iOS 9 apps that you cannot delete. Find iPhone and Find Friends apps now come with the iPhone by default. You can hide them in a folder, but you cannot delete the apps.