Unveiled at the opening of the Apple 2014 Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June, iOS 8 is launched in parallel with the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. The big story is that iOS8 makes the development way more accessible for developers now.

Currently, iOS 8 is big for developers because of all the new widgets, health apps, passbook app, HealthKit, HomeKit, iCloud Drive, NFC, AirDrop and other additions Apple has made. Developers can build on these and the additional APIs that Apple has provided and give users much more control and customizability.

Developer centric with more than 4000 APIs

The SDK features more than 4,000 APIs including the brand new programming language Swift and HealthKit, HomeKit, TouchID and customization APIs that make the developer platform more flexible.

The new APIs give developers the opportunity to differentiate their apps. For example, app developers now have dedicated routes to market; the tools to monetize downloads, in-app advertising and purchase models; and create businesses around the smartphone platforms and waearable platforms.

Apple is also giving complete control to developers with App Extension feature. The feature allows total control of the iOS interface, and allows third-parties to tack widgets and keyboards on top.

“Being able to provide components of your app within other apps is a game-changer. The ability to add custom actions to other apps’ share sheets is cool but something I expected to happen earlier,” said Robert Tolar Haining, an engineer at Modest.

“The bigger update here is being able to create widgets within the Notification Center. I’m looking forward to seeing stuff like updated news items and better weather alerts within there without having to open a separate app. It’ll be interesting to see whether ad-supported apps will adopt these features, that could have the effect of reducing actual app use.”

More Internet of Things connectivity

With the inclusion of both HomeKit and HealthKit, iPhones and iPads running iOS 8 will be expected to connect to more devices than ever. The HealthKit API will focus on opening lines of communication between different devices and apps.

With this, developers have the potential to create health monitoring apps that can share their data with a medical app, allowing your doctor to track any changes in your heart rate or blood pressure and assess your condition from home.

The HomeKit allows apps to interact with each other and domestic appliances. HomeKit will give developers control of home based apps either individually or all at once using a common protocol and secure pairing API.

With TouchID API it looks app developers can create encryption on a per-app basis, secured with Touch ID. This will be great for enterprise apps. Other APIs included in the update are PhotoKit, enabling developers to use much of the existing built-in Photos app framework, new Camera APIs giving developers access to fine grain control over camera features.

The CloudKit allows developers to store and retrieve their app data in a more structured, secured and efficient manner directly on the iCloud. They can also make the users anonymously log in to their apps with their iCloud Apple IDs. It will also help developers to solely concentrate on client side development.

Big screen iPhone 6 gives developers reason to smile

One of the more notable aspects of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus is the size of the screen. Thanks to the iOS 8 platform, apps will automatically adjust to various screen sizes. The 64-bit A8 processor has a 25% speed boost and a 50% increase in graphics performance.

Developers can take advantage of this performance boost to create game specific apps. As a result, studios and publishers like EA, Square Enix, Ubisoft and many other players in the industry have been all more than happy to partner with Apple. From a monetization perspective, Apple hopes the increase in resolution will likely also catapult the mobile video ad industry.

According to the Guardian, “Apple estimates that the app economy will add $86bn to worldwide GDP this year, with much of that coming from games. Game developers are vital to the success of the App Store; much more than developers in other app categories.”

The new wallet

Apple has access to millions of users’ credit card information and the introduction of Apple Pay is no surprise for the Cupertino company. Apple Pay will create a more convenient purchase process for consumers, leading to an improved in-store experience.

For developers, it will open up the ability to more efficiently track shopper data, which they can use to make future engagements and promotions more personal. It will also peer-to-peer engagements, connection of in-store to digital content and others to developers.

Swift and iOS 8

The new Swift development language is introduced by Apple in iOS 8 to ease the app development process and add more functionality. Apple is now added new Xcode 6 IDE which also comes out as part of the iOS 8 release. Apple says Swift is an innovative new programming language for Cocoa and Cocoa Touch with concise yet expressive syntax. Writing Swift code within an Xcode 6 playground shows instant results, while finished apps are compiled into high-performance native machine code. Down the line, Swift will continue to advance with new features, improved performance, and refined syntax.

SDK for Apple Watch

Apple Watch, the first smartwatch Apple, will host the third-party applications and will have its own App Store, a possibility which will enable developers to create specific solutions designed specifically for wearable.

According to a source of 9to5Mac, Apple has already distributed to a small handful of large companies – working in the field of social networks and services, including Facebook – a pre-release version of the SDK dedicated just to Apple Watch. The Watch Kit SDK allows developers to build applications dedicated exclusively for the new device. It is expected that the bulk of ideas and innovations will come to Apple Watch. Sports, fitness, physical activity and health are prime candidates.