iOS 8.1 features: Camera roll and the latest in SMS Relays

Apple has released the first full update to the iOS 8.  iOS 8.1 offers a number of fixes to address the issues that plagued the operating system after its initial launch last September.

One of the most evident changes in the iOS 8.1 is the return of the camera roll, which was taken out of the iOS 8 update to accommodate the recently added photo album. The absence of the camera roll was criticized by many Apple users due to the fact that the album does not display all photos that were taken by the device. As such, the camera roll has been added once again to the iOS 8.1 update.

Another features that has been made available is Apple Pay through which iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus users can easily scan their debit and credit cards into their Passbook and use the Touch ID at registers with NFC so they can pay for their purchases at retail stores.

Without NFC, however, the newly unveiled iPad Air 2 and iPad Mini 3 are only restricted to online app-related purchases.

As SMS Relays have been added, iMessage can now enable users to send and receive SMS messages by pairing a Mac updated on Yosemite with iPhones and iPads that run the iOS 8.1.

In addition, the iOS 8.1 has made the iCloud Photo Library Beta available to all users as replacement for the Photo Stream. The new library functions by storing all captured photos and videos on iCloud.com for people to view such content using other devices.

While these new features have easily caught the attention of Apple fans, certain issues have also been fixed by the iOS 8.1 including the connection to Bluetooth hands-free devices, Wi-Fi performance for various routers, and other bug and security fixes. Apple already released a list of security patches for such update.

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