After deleting about 100 photos and 20 apps, Apple does not deliver “the biggest iOS release ever.” On September 17 Apple released iOS 8, claiming to be the biggest release, but it left the public in disappointment. Though Apple’s release wasn’t as big as planned, iOS 8 has new improvements and designs that lead it to be bigger than iOS 7.

“We simply set out to create the most natural, most useful experience,” said Apple. In most terms, iOS 8 did achieve this goal.

iOS 8 started off on a bad foot when Apple required almost 5GB for it to download. That means, users, including myself, had to delete photos, apps, music, and any other possible thing that takes up space on an iOS device.

My initial reaction when opening iOS 8 was, “Oh, it’s the same thing.” I believe that it is that initial reaction that users have which lead to the disappointment. But if you explore iOS 8, you can find many great features.

Major updates are featured inside the Messaging and Photo app and also the new Health app. Messaging is better than ever, with a new keyboard with quick type, similar to the keyboard of the Galaxy and Droid devices. Messaging also allows users to send voice messages, put messaging on ‘do not disturb’ and leave group chats. Taking photos is better than ever, with all new features and filters to give you the best photography experience.

In the photo’s app, iOS 8 saves your deleted photos in an album that is labeled ‘Recently Deleted.’ Also, it does not feature a camera roll, but an album called ‘Recently Added.’ I find these features inconvenient because (a) I deleted photos for a reason and (b) I liked having all my photos on one album. Users can find all of their photos, on the ‘Moments’ feature.

The all new Health app in iOS 8 is a new way to track your health and fitness information. The app is so personal, it tracks your heart rate and even how many steps you take. But is it too personal? Apple states that this information can be shared with doctors and trainers. That brings up the question, who else can see this information?

Other features in iOS 8 are that users can reply to a text or tweet from the notification center, users can see who they recently talked to, and iCloud offers better storage options.

The biggest complaints about iOS 8 are: users needed close to 5 GB of storage, it kills battery life, the camera roll has been deleted, and it did not live up to the hype or expectations.  I would give iOS 8 a 7 out of 10 rating, which leads me to conclude that iOS 8 is not the “biggest iOS release ever.”