Apple has crafted itself a reputation for boldness and innovation over the years and, while there are many that would argue that this is no longer the case, the company has still been ranked as the second most innovative company in the world. This is a definite improvement over the 14th place it held last year and the company was able to achieve this thanks to the release of iOS 8 and the many new features that it introduced.
Apple’s history of innovation is defined by the epoch-shifting gadgets it launches at splashy media events—the first iPhone in 2007, for instance, or the Apple Watch last September. And the continued breathtaking success of the iPhone—74.5 million sold in the last three months of 2014, driving the most profitable quarter of any company in history—can overshadow an underappreciated truth about Apple’s good fortune: Many of the company’s most meaningful accomplishments don’t make for particularly memorable stagecraft. That’s because they’re about subtle software refinements that make its existing hardware products more useful. In the case of iOS 8, the newest version of its mobile operating system, Apple focused on empowering third-party developers to build interesting new things. HealthKit is a centralized clearing house for data collected by wearable gadgets such as smart watches and fitness trackers, such as heart rate and steps taken. HomeKit gives gizmos like Internet-connected thermostats, light bulbs, and door locks the ability to work in concert with each other, with voice control by Siri.