Apple releases iOS 8. 1, Apple pay , SMS relay etc

Apple today released iOS 8.1, its first major update to
iOS 8. First seeded to developers at the end of
September, iOS 8.1 brings quite a few significant
features to the operating system. The update
activates Apple Pay, enables Yosemite users to
access Continuity features like SMS relay and Instant
Hotspot, offers all iOS 8 users access to iCloud Photo
Library, fixes several bugs, and more.
iOS 8.1, build 12B410 for iPads and 12B411 for
iPhones, is available immediately as an over-the-air
download and after updating, it will allow iPhone 6
and 6 Plus owners to access Apple Pay, Apple's new
payment service. With Apple Pay, the iPhone 6 and 6
Plus can be used to make payments in both retail
stores that support NFC and participating apps. Apple
has also released Apple TV software 7.0.1.
Apple Pay support for iPhone 6 and iPhone 6
Plus (U.S. only)
Photos include new features, improvements,
and fixes
-Adds iCloud Photo Library as a beta service
- Adds Camera Roll album in Photos app and
My Photo Stream album when iCloud Photo
Library is not enabled
- Provides alerts when running low on space
before capturing Time Lapse videos
Messages includes new features, improvements
and fixes
- Adds the ability for iPhone users to send and
receive SMS and MMS text messages on from
their iPad and Mac
- Resolves an issue where search would
sometimes not display results
- Fixes a bug that caused read messages not to
be marked as read
- Fixes issues with group messaging
Resolves issues with Wi-Fi performance that
could occur when connected to some base
stations
Fixes an issue that could prevent connections
to Bluetooth hands-free devices
Fixes bugs that could cause screen rotation to
stop working
Fixes an issue in Safari where videos would
sometimes not play
Adds an option to select between 2G, 3G, or LTE
networks for cellular data
Fixes an issue in Safari where videos would
sometimes not play
Adds AirDrop support for Passbook passes
Adds an option to enable Dictation in Settings
for Keyboards, Separate from Siri
Enables HealthKit apps to access data in the
background
Accessibility improvements and fixes
- Fixes an issue that prevented Guided Access
from working properly
- Fixes a bug where VoiceOver would not work
with 3rd party keyboards
- Improves stability and audio quality when
using MFi Hearing Aids with iPhone 6 and 6
Plus
- Fixes an issue with VoiceOver where tone
dialing would get stuck on tone until dialing
another number
- Improves reliability when using handwriting,
Bluetooth keyboards, and Braille displays with
VoiceOver
Fixes an issue that was preventing the use of
OS X Caching Server for iOS updates
Also included in iOS 8.1 is support for SMS relay, a
Continuity feature designed to allow Macs (running
Yosemite) and iOS devices like iPads to receive SMS
messages routed through a user's iPhone. Instant
Hotspot is also enabled through the iOS 8.1 update,
letting Mac users remotely activate the Personal
Hotspot capabilities of an iPhone when two devices
are near each other.
Along with those major features, iOS 8.1 reinstates the
Camera Roll, which was removed with iOS 8, and it
gives all iOS 8 users access to iCloud Photo Library ,
Apple's new cloud-based photo storage solution. The
removal of the Camera Roll turned out to be a
controversial decision, with Apple opting to re-add it
after iOS users asked for the feature to be returned.
iOS 8 has not been Apple's smoothest software
release, with users encountering quite a few bugs in
the operating system. While multiple issues were
fixed with iOS 8.0.2, released in late September, iOS
8.1 fixes several other bugs, including a problem that
caused some iOS 8 users to have trouble pairing their
phones with their Bluetooth devices. According to
release notes, iOS 8.1 also fixes several other
complaints users have had about iOS 8, including
problems connecting to Wi-Fi and issues with screen
rotation.
Via : MacRumors