Here are some of the top iOS 8.3 enhancements / fixes you need to know:

1. Emoji

Apple has revamped the UI for emoji keyboard and also added more than 300 new emojis. The new additions also bring diversity options such as changing the skin tone of the people emojis. To access the skin tone variations tap and hold the emoji to change the default colour.

Tip: Don’t know what some of the emojis mean? Type them in the Notes app and have Siri speak.

2. Password Settings for App Store

In iOS 8.3 Apple allows you to change how frequently should the App Store prompt you for your Apple ID password. You can set it to always require password or require after 15 minutes of having entered the password.

The next setting is something that I had always wanted to exist in iOS. You can now “finally” turn off the requirement for password for free downloads. Yes, finally!

3. New Siri Languages

Siri can now understand even more languages. The new update adds support for: English (India, New Zealand), Danish (Denmark), Dutch (Netherlands), Portuguese (Brazil), Russian (Russia), Swedish (Sweden), Thai (Thailand), Turkish (Turkey).

4. Tell Siri to call a contact on speakerphone

Ever since I started using Siri while driving I never understood why Apple wouldn’t include support for Siri command, “call on speakerphone”. Well now with iOS 8.3 you do just that. This is another step to keeping all eyes on road and operating your phone hands and eyes free.

5. Fixes. Lots of Fixes.

iOS 8.3 brings many bug fixes so if you ever tried to do something and it failed or did not work reliably you should try doing that again. From issues like iOS 8 preventing autocorrecting “FYI” to WiFi, bluetooth issues and much more. Apple has fixed a lot of issues and even claims to improve performance for app launch, responsiveness and more.

Overall, iOS 8.3 is a highly recommended update for anyone who wants a reliable and stable experience on their iOS device.

Have you upgraded your iPhone or iPad yet? Did you notice any other significant changes? Let us know in the comments section below.

The adoption rate of iOS 8 software update has been slower than last years iOS 7 adoption rate. iOS 7 reached 80% in the month of January just four months after release date.

iOS 7 was the first major redesign of Apple’s mobile operating system since the original iPhone. The new flat look was a significant departure from the original user interface which may have lead to an increased interest among users to download the update.

iOS 8 release was met with a number of issues. Since the update required more free space for over-the-air installation many users decided to not update their devices. Later, Apple published a support article stating that users can update their devices without having to delete any data by connecting their devices to iTunes and then completing the update process.

When Apple released a maintenance update iOS 8.0.1, it resulted in No Service error. The company was quick to investigate and release follow-up updates to provide a stable version of iOS 8. Apple released a number of updates including iOS 8.1, iOS 8.1.1, iOS 8.1.2, and most recently iOS 8.1.3.

The latest update reduces the amount of free space required to install a new update along with fixing other glaring issues such as spotlight not showing search results.

iOS 8 didn’t get the perfect launch that Apple would have hoped for. However, despite all the bugs and slower adoption rate, as iOS 8 install base continues to rise Apple shouldn’t have to worry about anything.

Just as iOS 8 distribution looks impressive for an update that was released just four months ago, Android’s adoption rate is in a dire situation. Lollipop, the latest version of Android operating system released in November, is installed on just 1.6% Android devices.

iOS 8.2 includes support for the WatchKit SDK, paving the way for developers to create and test apps for Apple’s upcoming Apple Watch. The exact release date for iOS 8.2 is still unknown however, it may be made available publicly few weeks ahead of the Apple Watch launch.

Apple’s new wearable device will work in sync with the iPhone. Using WatchKit SDK app developers can add support to their apps to enable notifications and glances on the Apple Watch.

iOS 8 upgrades haven’t gone very well for users recently as after upgrading users complained about WiFi, battery life and bluetooth issues. With increased use of devices’ storage capacity many users were unable to install over-the-air update and had to resort to installing the update by connecting to iTunes. All these problems combined resulted in slower adoption rate initially when compared with last years release of iOS 7.

Apple touted iOS 8 as the “biggest iOS release ever”. It brought many new features for users and new possibilities for iOS app developers. Notable enhancements included all new Messages app, continuity, added features to camera app, third party keyboards, iCloud Drive, Health app and much more.

If you consider only mobile cameras then Apple sweeps the top 5 category with top four ranks featuring iPhone 5, iPhone 4S, iPhone 4 and iPhone 5c. In 2013 the original iPhone was at the fifth position but this year Samsung Galaxy S3 replaced the fifth spot.

The most interesting rank in the stats shared by Flickr is that Apple is now the second most popular “camera brand”. Last year the company featured at third position.

When the original iPhone was launched in 2007 it featured a modest 2 MP camera with no flash and not many editing or sharing features. It was the iPhone 4 that received a major camera upgrade. It’s been eight years since the launch of the first gen iPhone and the improvements the company has been making to it’s camera is clearly winning the hearts of its users.

Apple introduced the all-new iPhone 6 in September 2014 and within 3 months it already featured at number 7 claiming 1% share of top mobile cameras according to Flickr. With new features like Focus Pixel, improved face detection, image stabilisation, burst mode and exposure control Apple is making sure that it retains the top spot in 2015 as well.

It is important to consider that it is not just the camera hardware but, also the software that made iPhone reach this far by enabling easy edit and share options. The Photos app in iOS 8 received a major upgrade adding photo filters, advanced exposure, light and color controls.

Unlike its competitors Apple hasn’t focused on “megapixels” what it has done is focus on making it easier for users to take great photos.

We’ll have to wait until the end of 2015 to find out if Apple can retain its existing position or it may just topple Canon for the number one camera brand.

The live streaming of the launch event will be available on Apple’s website and Apple TV. The live stream didn’t go so well during the iPhone event however, we hope that this time the company is well prepared to handle it.

Media invites were sent out by Apple last week which carried a tag line “It’s been way too long.” While it obviously doesn’t give much hint as to what the company will be unveiling, but it’s quite evident that the iPad lineup will be refreshed for the holiday season. Some are speculating that “been way too long” could be referring to iMacs finally getting Retina Display technology. Apple’s entire product lineup features the high resolution displays except the desktop computer.

We can expect an update on OS X Yosemite release date and it could be made available later this week. We can’t rule out that Apple TV could also be refreshed today. It’s been quite a long while since it has seen any major update.

iPad Air 2 could finally get TouchID making it easier for users to access secure information with the touch of their finger. NFC could also be included to facilitate ApplePay functionality.

A new processor, A8X will bring improved CPU and GPU performance and RAM could be bumped to 2 GB. It is unclear if the new processor will offer improved battery performance on the new iPad Air 2.

It may be hard to believe, but a lot of users do use tablets to take pictures and videos. The new iPad Air 2 is rumoured to feature 8-megapixel camera. We could also see Retina HD displays as iOS 8.1 code did reveal 3x graphics.

iPad mini 3 just like iPad 2 Air is rumoured to feature A8X processor, TouchID, and improved cameras.

What are your expectations from the event? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Apple will kick off its WWDC keynote event at 10:00 AM Pacific Time at Moscone West convention center in San Francisco today. Live video streaming of the WWDC keynote event will be available on Apple’s website and Apple TV. Live streaming requires Safari 4 or later on OS X v10.6 or later; Safari on iOS 4.2 or later. Streaming via Apple TV requires second- or third-generation Apple TV with software 5.0.2 or later.

At this years keynote event we will see Apple introduce iOS 8 and OS X 10.10. iOS 8 is expected to focus on health and fitness with new Healthbook app, revamp iTunes Radio service with a standalone app and bring other improvements. Apple has shown interest in wearables and the CEO Tim Cook has referred to the wrist as an area of interest.

With Healthbook app Apple could be preparing for the introduction of new smart watch hardware later this year. iPhone 5S shipped with a dedicated M7 coprocessor designed specifically to measure motion data from the accelerometer, gyroscope, and compass. This allows the device to know when you’re walking, running, or even driving. Many third party apps available in the App Store have used the available developer API’s to enhance their fitness apps. It seems obvious that Apple would like to build a dedicated service and enter into the fitness category to pave way for its smart watch device.

OS X 10.10 expected to be called OS X 10.10 Yosemite is rumoured to revamp the user interface and bring even more compatibility with iOS features. Apple made OS X Mavericks a free update for all users and the company is expected to follow the same free “pricing” model for this years update.

Apple recently announced that they acquired Beats Music and Beats Electronics for $3 Billion the announcement coming in just before WWDC gives some evidence of music related announcements during the live keynote event. Declining sales of iTunes music downloads and customers increasing adoption of streaming music service could result in Apple making iTunes Radio a standalone app and announce upcoming improvements to its streaming service.

In recent past Apple has focused on announcing only software updates during WWDC, however some rumours have pointed towards introduction of new Mac mini, iMac refresh and 8GB iPhone 5S. It is highly likely that Apple could update the hardware lineup with minor refreshes and not announce any new hardware during WWDC live keynote event.

Live video streaming of Apple’s WWDC keynote event will be available here and later a video podcast will available for download through iTunes. What are your expectations from this years event? Are you expecting any new hardware? Let us know what you think in the comments below.