iOS 8.1 Release Date Set For Oct. 20 With Apple Pay: Rumor

Apple is planning to release its iOS 8.1 update on Oct. 20, "multiple sources close to Apple" told Bank Innovation (via USA Today).

The publication adds that the download will arrive packing Apple Pay, the tech giant's new mobile payment system unveiled in September alongside the iPhone 6 and Apple Watch.

Apple is reportedly "testing" Apple Pay through iOS 8.1 beta, which was recently made available to developers. The beta is one of the quickest ever released by Apple, as the tech giant typically offers up the first beta of new iOS versions a couple months after its initial release date.

With new iPads reportedly scheduled for launches and the Apple Watch set to debut in early 2015, Apple has needed to speed up the software update process.

9to5Mac reported Monday that Apple is simultaneously testing the iOS 8.1, 8.2 and 8.3 updates.

According to the website, server analytics suggest Apple is unusually testing more than one version at the same time, all of which are major updates - offering further proof the iOS 8 release schedule will be unlike its predecessors.

How to Fix Battery Life Drains In iOS 8

One of the biggest concerns users have with updating their devices to the latest version of iOS is whether their battery life will be affected. While iOS 8 certainly packs some interesting and useful new features, you would be hard-pressed to find a person willing to sacrifice battery life for them.

That said, if you are experiencing noticeable battery drain issues with iOS 8, there is a simple fix that should get you back up to speed.

The first thing you'll want to do is check which apps are taking the biggest toll on your device's life, something you can do easily now with iOS 8 by heading to Settings, then tapping Usage and then Battery Usage. In this screen, you'll be able to inspect how much battery life each app has consumed over the past 24 hours and 7 days. You'll also be able to see which apps are eating up battery life even when they're not being used, or with "background activity."

These unnecessary drainers can be stopped, however, without completely deleting them. All you have to do is turn off the apps' "background activity" by heading over to Settings, then tapping General and then Background App Refresh. From there, you can turn this off for all of your apps or just for the ones that are draining your device's battery.

While this won't alleviate your problems if you're experiencing major drains, it's an easy trick to help boost your device if you're noticing it's lasting a little less than before you switched to iOS 8.