MacRumors

Apple today released iOS 10, the latest operating system designed for the iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch, to the public. iOS 10 can be downloaded the iPhone 5 and later, the iPad mini 2 and later, the iPad 4 and later, and the 6th generation iPod touch.

The update is available on all eligible devices through iTunes or over-the-air in the Settings app. To access the update, go to Settings --> General --> Software update. As with all major software releases, it may take a few minutes for the update to propagate due to high user demand.

According to Apple, iOS 10 is the "biggest release ever" for iOS devices, with major updates for Messages, Siri, Photos, Maps, Apple Music, Apple Pay, and the iOS interface.

iOS 10 features a redesigned Lock screen experience with 3D Touch-enabled notifications, a more easily accessible camera, and a widgets screen. A revamped Control Center also offers 3D Touch support along with new controls for music and HomeKit devices. Raise to Wake, a new feature for the latest devices, wakes up the iPhone without bypassing notifications.

Messages has been entirely overhauled with new features like background animations, bubble effects, rich links, and Digital Touch, and there's even a full Messages App Store that can add almost unlimited capabilities to messages, from sending stickers and GIFs to making payments or placing collaborative dinner orders.

A new Siri SDK lets developers build support into their apps, and a dedicated "Home" app gives users a central place to control HomeKit devices. Photos features impressive facial and object recognition capabilities, and a new Memories feature allows you to discover forgotten memories.

Maps and Apple Music have both been redesigned with cleaner, simpler interfaces, with Maps gaining proactive suggestions and integrated third-party apps and Music gaining better content discovery features and a new focus on lyrics.

There's a new feature that lets stock iOS apps be hidden from sight, and the QuickType keyboard is smarter with new contextual predictions, including emoji predictions. Apple Pay is available on the web starting today, and Game Center has been largely eliminated.

For full details on the new features included in iOS 10, make sure to check out our complete iOS 10 roundup.

Update: Some users are reporting that iOS 10 has bricked their devices, so it may be wise to make a back up before upgrading or hold off on downloading the update for now.

Apple today released watchOS 3, the newest version of the operating system that runs on the Apple Watch. watchOS 3 is a significant update to the watchOS operating system, introducing an overhauled interface, new apps, new watch faces, and impressive performance improvements.

watchOS 3 can be downloaded through the dedicated Apple Watch app on the iPhone by going to General -> Software Update. To install the update, the Apple Watch must have 50 percent battery, it must be placed on the charger, and it must be in range of the iPhone. watchOS 3 is available for all Apple Watch models, but requires an iPhone running iOS 10 to install, which was also released today.

watchOS 3 features a new dock that houses your favorite and recently used apps so they're quicker to access. Up to 10 apps saved to the dock are kept up to date at all times and are able to launch instantly, cutting down on app loading times.

Navigation is improved in watchOS 3, with left and right swipes able to change the watch face. Upward swipes bring up the Control Center, while a downward swipe opens the Notification Center. Pressing the side button brings up the new dock.

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There are new Activity sharing features in watchOS 3, along with workouts and activities for wheelchair users. A new "Breathe" app guides you through daily deep breathing sessions to cut down on stress, and there are new Reminders, Find My Friends, and Heart Rate apps.

Three new watch faces are available, an SOS feature can automatically call emergency services, and an Apple Watch can be used to unlock a password protected Mac with new Continuity functionality. A revamped Messages app makes it easier to reply to incoming texts, plus there's a new "Scribble" feature for writing replies on the Apple Watch face with a finger.

For more details on what's new in watchOS 3, make sure to check out our full watchOS 3 roundup.

Apple today released tvOS 10, the latest operating system designed for the fourth-generation Apple TV, bringing a range of improvements that make it easier to locate and watch content on Apple's set-top box.

tvOS 10 can be downloaded over the air through the Settings app on the fourth-generation Apple TV by going to System --> Software Update. Those who have automatic software updates turned on will be upgraded to tvOS 10 automatically.

In tvOS 10, Apple has brought improved search, expanded Siri capabilities, a new dark mode, a Continuity option for using the iPhone for text input, automatic download of universal apps, and more.

With tvOS 10, Siri is able to search for movies by topic, bringing up content around a theme like "high school comedies from the 80s" or "movies about dinosaurs," and a new Live Tune-In feature lets Siri go directly to a live channel in a supported app.

A Single Sign-On feature for pay TV apps that lets users sign in once with their cable credentials to access all live cable content included in a cable subscription was supposed to be included in tvOS 10, but it appears Single Sign-On was not included in the first version of the operating system and will be coming at a later date.

Third-party apps can do more in tvOS 10 with developer APIs for recording and live broadcasting, accessing iCloud Photo Library photos, using HomeKit, and developing games with more complicated controls that necessitate a game controller.

iOS 10 features like the Apple Music overhaul and the new Photos "Memories" feature have been ported to tvOS, allowing users to access the new Apple Music interface and view favorite Photos memories.

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For additional details on what's included in the tvOS 10 operating system update, make sure to check out our full tvOS 10 roundup.

Apple today released a new version of iTunes, iTunes 12.5.1, which is available for OS X El Capitan and macOS Sierra users. iTunes 12.5.1 introduces a new Apple Music design, bringing Apple Music on the desktop in line with Apple Music on mobile devices just ahead of the release of iOS 10.

The update also brings macOS Sierra-specific features including support for Siri, allowing users to ask Siri to play songs on machines running macOS Sierra, and it includes support for Picture-in-Picture, another new Sierra feature.

iTunes 12.5.1 can be downloaded immediately from the Software Update mechanism in the Mac App Store.

Now with an all-new Apple Music design which brings greater clarity and simplicity to every aspect of the experience.

This update includes support for iOS 10. It also adds enhancements designed for macOS Sierra including:

- Siri. Play music from your Library and Apple Music using your voice. Just ask Siri.
- Picture-in-Picture. Watch videos as you multitask and use different apps. Your video floats above your desktop in any corner of the screen.

While iOS 10 is being introduced today with an all new Apple Music experience that focuses on a cleaner look and easier to use interface, macOS Sierra will not be released until next Tuesday, September 20.

Kwikset has announced that its Kevo smart lock's touch-to-open technology will only work on iOS 10 if the Kevo app is open and visible on an iPhone's screen, due to a bug related to Bluetooth LE peripheral mode.

Kwikset said it is working closely with Apple to support a solution that will restore the functionality as quickly as possible. iOS 10 will be publicly released later today, so the fix will likely be included in a subsequent software update.

In the meantime, Kwikset offers some temporary solutions for continuing to use Kevo's touch-to-open functionality:

- When at your door, open the Kevo app on your iOS phone or smart device, making sure you can see the app on your device screen and touch the Kevo smart lock on your door
- When at your door, open the Kevo app on your iOS phone or smart device, making sure you can see the app on your device screen, and use the app to lock and unlock the door (In Home Locking and Unlocking)
- If you have a Kevo key fob, the Touch-to-Open functionality of Kevo will still work

Kwikset said the iOS 10 bug does not affect the security of Kevo smart locks, while the sending, receiving, and revoking of eKeys is also not affected.

Update: Kwikset says iOS 10.0.2 addresses the bug. The update fully restores Touch-to-Open functionality.

In the midst of the publication of multiple iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus reviews, one tidbit within The New York Times' mostly positive review of the 2016 iPhone briefly looked forward to the much-anticipated "mega cycle," ten-year anniversary model of next year's iPhone. According to the publication, who spoke with two anonymous Apple employees, "next year’s iPhone will have a full-screen face with the virtual button built directly into the screen."

While not new information, the comment does continue a rumor of a drastically redesigned iPhone in 2017 that will introduce an edge-to-edge OLED display and eliminate the top and bottom bezels, where the front-facing FaceTime camera and Touch ID Home Button are currently housed. The redesigned Home Button of the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus (which isn't an actual button, but packs in Apple's Taptic Engine to mimic a button press) will be completely gone in 2017, and fused with the OLED display, along with Touch ID functionality.

But taking the leap to the 7 may be a wise bet, even for late technology adopters. Apple is likely to continue making iPhones without headphone jacks, and next year’s iPhone will have a full-screen face with the virtual button built directly into the screen, according to two people at the company who spoke on condition of anonymity because the product details are private. Apple declined to comment on next year’s iPhones.

With an all-glass, edge-to-edge display, Apple design chief Jony Ive's vision of an iPhone that looks like a single sheet of glass could finally come true in 2017. Regarding the display, it's said to be flexible OLED rather than an LCD, allowing Apple to introduce a thinner device that consumes less power and offers a better display with higher contrast ratio and more true to life colors.

It may also feature edges that are curved on both sides, similar to the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge. That curved model could potentially be placed as a 5.8-inch premium addition to the line, with the other 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch, lower-priced iPhone 8 tiers including flat LCD displays.

Coming up sooner, the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus will be launching this Friday, September 16, to the first round of pre-order customers. While an iterative design, Apple has made a few notable changes to the iPhone line this year, including the removal of the 3.5mm headphone jack, a flush Home Button, improved water resistance, and major overhauls to the camera, especially with the dual-lens system on the iPhone 7 Plus.

(Thanks, Anthony!)

Although Apple revealed a lot of information about the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus last week, the technical specifications of each device's mAh battery capacity and RAM were left undisclosed, as per usual with iPhone announcements. Now, new information from a technical certification obtained by Chinese site TENAA (via WCCFtech) appears to confirm previous rumors that placed the iPhone 7 Plus with 3GB of RAM and the iPhone 7 with a 1,960 mAh battery.

Specifically, the performance specifications list the iPhone 7 with 2GB of RAM and a 1,960 mAh battery, an improvement over the 1,715 mAh battery in the iPhone 6s. The rumors of an improvement in battery life emerged over the summer from OnLeaks' Steve Hemmerstoffer (who's known to share details and part leaks on devices before they launch), as well as an alleged iPhone 7 battery image leak that marked the new iPhone as having a capacity of 7.04 watt-hours, larger than the 6.61 watt-hour battery in the iPhone 6s.

The iPhone 7 Plus appears to be facing a similar uptick in battery, with the filing depicting the 5.5-inch iPhone as having 3GB of RAM and a 2,900 mAh battery, another slight but noticeable improvement over the 2,750 mAh battery in the iPhone 6s Plus. What might be more interesting to some is the inclusion of 3GB of RAM, which has been rumored as a potential upgrade in the larger-screen iPhone 7 Plus because of the increased resource demands of the dual-camera system. A seemingly legitimate Geekbench benchmark test gave more credence to the rumor last week.

The resolution of the display for each iPhone also falls in line with what was previously known, with 1134 x 750 (326 ppi) for the iPhone 7 and 1920 x 1080 (401 ppi) for the iPhone 7 Plus.

If accurate, today's filing also pinpoints an interesting return to the battery life of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, which Apple lessened in the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus with lower-capacity batteries to potentially make room for 3D Touch's Taptic Engine. The iPhone 6 had a 1,810 mAh battery, while the iPhone 6 Plus has a battery capacity of 2,915 mAh.

As we near September 16 and the launch of the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, more information and opinions regarding the new smartphones will continue to come to light. This morning, embargoes lifted on reviews for Apple's new smartphones, with the consensus stating the models are "terrific," foundational blocks for future iterations, but if you skip this generation you won't be missing out on much.

The official launch of the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus is still three days away on September 16, but the first reviews of the new smartphones have started showing up online this morning. Some of the sites have been quietly testing out the new handsets for around a week, and general impressions have been positive, despite the lack of a radical design overhaul compared to last year's iPhone 6s and 6s Plus.

The Verge offered perhaps the most balanced perspective on the iPhone 7 series, which it called "terrific phones" but also "incomplete", given that the wider color gamut, and the real potential of the Taptic Engine and the iPhone 7 Plus's dual-lens camera – which rely on software updates – won't be realized at launch.

The Verge said non-adopters "won't actually be missing out on much" if they don't get an iPhone 7, which it described as a "transitional step to a vision of the future" and a "foundation" for how the next generation of iPhones will integrate into our lives.

The entire time I was using the iPhone 7, I felt like I had a prototype of next year’s rumored drastic iPhone redesign disguised as an iPhone 6. All those bold bets on the future are legitimately exciting, but here in the present using the iPhone 7 in a case feels a lot like using a iPhone 6S with a weirder home button and more adapters.

Meanwhile, Mashable offered a more enthusiastic line of thinking for early adopters, calling both devices "worthwhile upgrades" that "inch us ever-closer to the completely sealed, moving-parts-free ideal of a smartphone slab". The review notes that both phones are "fast" and the stereo speakers "really shine" when it comes to gaming, while battery life was impressive, with the larger handset closing in on two days with moderate use.

It also put the phones through some underwater ordeals, the result of which was "pretty awesome" and offered peace of mind for those prone to dropping their phones in the toilet, but it didn't recommend going for a swim with the devices.

I had a good time placing the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus under running water and dropping them into water-filled containers and sinks. Not only did they hold up, but both phones continued to function in the drink.

Each time I tried this, the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus were unharmed. I fished them out of the water and dried them with a cloth and then continue using them. One thing you cannot do right after submerging your phone, though, is charge it. Apple recommends letting the Lightning port dry out for five hours before attempting to charge either device again.

TechCrunch got hold of a glossy black iPhone 7 and remarked that it definitely showed scratches and abrasions after a weeks' use. It also mentioned that the home button's Taptic Engine feedback makes it feel as if the whole bottom half of the phone is clicking, yet it called the implementation a "flawless transition" from the physical home button that prepares users for when the button disappears entirely. It said Apple's new flagship devices are "fast, capable, and functional" and "probably the best portable cameras ever made".

This is quite simply the most sophisticated camera and image processor pairing ever seen in a smartphone or any camera period. There have been a couple of other applications of dual camera setups in phones, but the execution is crude by comparison.

The optical zoom works great, and the 56mm lens naturally adds that nice compression of facial features and slight blurring of background that a standard lens gives, especially up close.

It won't be long before Apple customers begin to receive the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus handsets themselves, as the September 16 launch date approaches. Images have emerged online of iPhone 7 shipment batches ready to leave factories in Zhengzhou, China, while some customers have already received shipping confirmation.

Other reviews: Business Insider, BuzzFeed, The Wall Street Journal, Daring Fireball, Wired, Ars Technica, The Loop, CNET.

Ahead of the public launch of iOS 10 coming tomorrow, Apple today made the Messages App Store live, aggregating all of the apps, games, and sticker packs that can be used in the Messages app and making them available for download.

The Messages App Store looks almost identical to the iOS App Store, so the interface will be immediately familiar to iOS 10 users. There are featured apps and stickers displayed at the top of the store, along with editorial picks like "10 iMessage Apps We Love" and "Games in Messages? Sweet!"

Apps for the Messages App Store are already available, including titles like Games With Friends, Tic Tac Toe, Star Walk, Carrot Weather, Yelp, IMDB, OpenTable, Zen Brush 2, and more.

A number of sticker packs are also available from well-known app developers, including Pac-Man, Star Wars, Angry Birds, Hello Kitty, Crossy Road, and more. iOS 10 sticker packs and apps started rolling out earlier today.

On devices running iOS 10, the Messages App Store and apps compatible with iOS 10 are immediately available. The Messages App Store is accessible by following these steps:

- Open the Messages app
- Tap the App Store icon to open the app interface
- Tap the icon at the bottom that looks like four circles
- Tap the "+" button to open the Messages App Store

The Messages App Store is a little bit sparse right now because apps are still being released, but when iOS 10 becomes available tomorrow, there will be dozens if not hundreds of apps and sticker packs ready to download.

iOS 10 is expected to debut at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time on Tuesday, September 13.