SkyDrive – Microsoft’s very own personal cloud storage solution, has been quite a pleasant experience since its conception over 6 years ago. At the time, SkyDrive was more of an experimental service to separately sign up for. In April, 2012, SkyDrive became available for every single Microsoft account whether you use it or not, and is now deeply integrated into Windows 8. Sure, it doesn’t seem any better on non-Windows systems than other cloud storage system, until now. SkyDrive for iOS has brought forth a much needed feature – for me, at least.

SkyDrive for iOS

SkyDrive has hit version 4.0 and now allows automatic uploading of your iOS Camera Roll. This means your iOS photographs are directly available at any SkyDrive enabled device. Until now that meant your Windows 8 PC, earlier Windows PCs with SkyDrive and Mac with SkyDrive. But here’s what’s even better – SkyDrive for iOS 4.0 allows devices to download photographs from the camera roll too. So, pictures taken on, say, your iPhone will be available on your iPad along with all of the other devices.

SkyDrive for iOS

You’ll see the new “Backup” tab along with the already existing tabs in the previous version.

All you’ve got to do is enable Camera Backup under Settings.

Enable Camera Backup

You can also choose to resize the photos, whether or not to include videos and if or not to sync via cellular. We recommend allowing resizing if you choose cellular unless you have an unlimited data plan.

Greater tunability

In addition, you can set it to download pictures and videos in the original resolution or in a reduced one when syncing the different devices with SkyDrive.

Download options

Clicking on the new Camera Backup will show you a list of what is being uploaded.

Camera Backup

Pretty neat! I mean, iCloud is great and all but SkyDrive makes everything better…

Let us know in the comments – awesome or don’t care?

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