The GM release links of Apple’s iOS 8 is now ready to download, and although, strictly speaking, this is not the final release, it’s identical to the build that end users will be receiving in about a week’s time. As ever, we’ve got the details and download info right here.
Barring any spectacular flaw in the system, the GM build of iOS 8 will be that which early adopters of iOS 8 will receive in around one week’s time. You can download it right away if you’re a beta tester, although you will need to make a fresh install since betas cannot be simply updated to GM.
First officially announced at WWDC, many presumed that Apple’s mobile software wouldn’t be subject to significant change after the relative overhaul last time around, but while the improvements don’t seem anywhere near as drastic as with iOS 7, this is anything but a rudimentary update.
For the first time, Apple has opened up numerous areas of its firmware to third-party developers, and while this will notably allow apps to offer deeper integration with the Siri voice assistant, it also means that folks will be able to download and install a system-wide keyboard of their choosing. Apple has also made some tweaks of its own in the keyboard stakes to ensure that users enjoy a better overall experience, but with so many big-name developers having showcased their revolutionary efforts on Android, it’s likely that many will opt for the likes of SwiftKey and Fleksy.
Elsewhere, there’s HealthKit and HomeKit, and while both of these features differ greatly, they’re both umbrella terms for much broader, influential systems that will soon become a major part of Apple’s product line. We already know about HealthKit’s integration with Health app, for example, and with Apple rumored to be working on its own branded home-automation hardware, iOS 8 merely provides the foundations for several of Apple’s target market sectors moving forward.
As ever with Apple releases, Final version of iOS 8 for public will be available on September 17. We’ll obviously let you know as and when it has gone live for everyone.
You can download today’s iOS 8 GM seed from Apple’s developer portal.
Also check out: Download iOS 8 GM And Install On iPhone 5s, 5c, 5, 4S, iPad, iPod touch [How-To Tutorial]
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