True to its word, Apple has made the iOS 8.1 update available to owners of iPhones, iPads, and iPod touch devices.
The official release of the latest iOS 8 update also marks the simultaneous launch of Apple Pay, the tech giant's new mobile payment system. Through a combination of near-field communications (NFC) and Apple's own Touch ID technology, Apple Pay can facilitate instantaneous payment transactions at wireless point-of-sale (POS) terminals at selected stores and establishments in the United States. How the system works is simple enough -- credit card data is stored in the iPhone's Passbook app, but is kept secure through encryption and the generation of a unique security code and a one-time transaction number, and then further authenticated by the iPhone user himself via his device's Touch ID fingerprint reader.
Apple's mobile payment system is expected to support three major credit card companies, namely MasterCard, Visa, and American Express. Retailers and familiar establishments like McDonald's, Walgreens, and Macy's, among many others, have already confirmed that they will be supporting Apple Pay transactions in their stores. A number of banking institutions have also stated that they will honor Apple Pay transactions as well.,
Aside from using Apple Pay to buy goods in actual stores, users can also take advantage of the mobile payment system in paying for goods in apps. Indeed, specific apps like Uber, Target, and the Apple Store app will now permit users to make payments with the use of Touch ID.
When it was first introduced, Apple Pay was to be used only for iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus devices. Apple has since expanded the mobile payment system's compatibility, making sure that it will also be supported by the tech giant's wearable device the Apple Watch, which is slated to launch sometime early next year. Once the Apple Watch is released, users can pair the wearable device with the iPhone 5, iPhone 5S, and the iPhone 5C so that owners of these iPhone models may also complete payment transactions via Apple Pay.
Apart from Apple Pay, the iOS 8.1 update also includes the public beta version of the iCloud Photo Library, which allows users to easily access their photos on all their devices that are connected to iCloud. On top of that, this latest iOS 8 update will also resurrect the Camera Roll, the feature that lets users access their images in the Photos app.
The iOS 8.1 update is available to the following Apple devices: iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, iPhone 5C, iPhone 5S, iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPad 2, iPad 3, iPad Air, iPad mini, iPad mini with Retina display, and the fifth-generation iPod touch.
