iOS 8, thoroughly reviewed

"Huge for developers. Massive for everyone else."

That was Apple's tagline for iOS 8 when the software was announced at the company's Worldwide Developers Conference back in June. Overuse of hyperbole is a pet peeve of mine, but after using iOS 8 for a couple of months, I have to say that it's warranted in this case. iOS 7 was a comprehensive makeover for an operating system that needed to reclaim visual focus and consistency. iOS 7.1 improved stability and speed while addressing the new design's worst shortcomings and most egregious excesses. And iOS 8 is the update that turns its attention from the way everything looks to the way it works.

Just as iOS 6's look had begun to grow stale by the time 2013 rolled around (six years is a pretty good run, though), iOS' restrictions on third-party applications and UI customization now feel outdated. Sure, back in 2007, slow processors and small RAM banks required a strict, Spartan approach to what apps could do and the ways they could interact. But now, our smartphones and tablets have become powerful mini-computers in their own right. Competing platforms like Android, Windows, and Windows Phone have all demonstrated that it's possible to make these little gadgets more computer-y without tanking performance or battery life.

Apple still holds the keys to many aspects of the iPhone and iPad user experience, but compared to past versions of the software iOS 8 represents an opening of floodgates. Don't like Apple's software keyboard? Replace it. Want sports scores and updates on your eBay auctions in your Notification Center? Here's a widget, throw 'em in there. Want to use a social network or a cloud storage service that Apple hasn't explicitly blessed and baked into the OS? Cool. Here are some APIs for that.

We're going to give you a thorough rundown of iOS 8's new features today, but the most important thing to know about the software is that you're now in the driver's seat. Well, maybe not quite the driver's seat; there's still quite a bit you can't customize or change. But Apple is definitely letting you reach over and steer the car.

In this review, we'll be talking mostly about features available to all iOS 8 devices, and to hardware that you already have in your hands right now. Several software features in the new operating system are exclusive to the new iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, and discussion of those features will wait until we review those devices. Outlets that received pre-release hardware from Apple have already run their iPhone 6 reviews, but we'll be picking them up at retail along with everybody else—look for ours to go up sometime early next week.

• iOS 8.1 mini-review: Testing Apple Pay, SMS forwarding, and more (Posted 10/22/2014)
• iOS 8.2 released with Apple Watch support (Posted 3/9/2015)
• iOS 8.3 released with fixes for performance and just about everything else (Posted 4/8/2015)
• iOS 8.4 released with Music and iBooks improvements, bug fixes (Posted 6/30/2015)
  • A walkthrough of the new Music app (Posted 6/30/2015)