Apple’s New Software Increases Connectivity Between Devices

iPhone and Mac users are about to see a big difference in their device’s interface.

Last week, Apple unveiled their new operating systems at their annual Developer Conference in San Francisco.

iOS 8 for iPhone and iPad, and OS X Yosemite for Mac add new features that will help owners of multiple Apple products achieve more seamless integration between their devices. Mac users will now be able to make outgoing calls from their computers as long as their iPhone is linked to the same local network. Additionally, Mac users will be notified on-screen when they receive an incoming call on their iPhone. A feature called “Handoff” will allow iPhone or iPad users to start a task—like writing an e-mail—on their mobile device, then finish it on their Mac.

Apple also announced the launch of their own Dropbox-like cloud storage service, an add-on to their existing iCloud service called iCloud Drive. This service, along with Apple’s updated operating systems, will be released as free updates later this year.

This is exciting news for Apple users, and news that will be sure to make waves throughout the tech sphere. We’ve discussed on this very blog how consumers have fully embraced mobile computing, and with over 500 million iPhones sold worldwide this is big news for a large segment of the mobile tech market. Plus, firms that utilize Apple devices for business should see several improvements that will help advisors and other employees move data from device to device more seamlessly.

While Apple devotees will probably have to wait until the Fall to hear about new hardware releases (like the rumored iPhone 6), the annual Developer Conference gave current Apple hardware users a great preliminary glimpse into software they’ll be using in just a few months.