iOS 11, the latest version of Apple's mobile operating system, has start rolling out to iPhone and iPad users.

First revealed by Apple at its Worldwide Developer's Conference (WWDC) in June, the next-gen mobile device software has been redesigned to coincide with the tenth anniversary of the iPhone, and includes a completely overhauled App Store.

Other new features of iOS 11 include a new version of the Siri voice assistant, Boomerang-style looping live photos, and a new "Do Not Disturb While Driving" feature.

"We’re going to take the world's best and most advanced mobile operating system and turn it up to 11," said Apple's Senior Vice President of Software Engineering Craig Federighi.

Here are some of the highlights of iOS 11 .

The new operating system was released to the public as a free software update on Tuesday, 19 September, a few days before the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus go on sale.

The update went live at 10am Pacific Time, which translates to 6pm here in the UK.

It is available for iPhone 5s and later, all iPad Air and iPad Pro models, iPad 5th generation, iPad mini 2 and later and iPod touch 6th generation.

Apple has completely redesigned its App Store for the first time in nine years, to make it easier for iPhone and iPad users to discover new apps and games.

The new-look store has several new tabs along the bottom of the screen enabling users to filter by Games, Apps and "Today" - a daily changing selection of highlights from the App Store.

The Today tab will also include in-depth features and interviews with developers, as well as exclusive premieres, new releases tips and how-to guides.

Apple has introduced an Updates tab, allowing customers to quickly see what has changed in their favourite apps and games with the latest update.

Search has also been enhanced, allowing users to search by name, category, developer or topic, and receive relevant results for specific apps and games.

Perhaps the biggest new feature of iOS 11 is the overhauled version of its Siri voice assistant.

Apple has used machine learning to create more natural voices for both the male and female versions of Siri, adjusting intonation, pitch, emphasis and tempo while speaking.

There's also a new visual interface that offers suggestions based on personal usage of apps such as Safari, News, Mail and Messages.

Siri has been updated to better understand context and offer results that it thinks the user will be interested in.

What's more, a new translation capability will translate English words and phrases into Chinese, French, German, Italian or Spanish, with more options coming later on.

Apple has added detailed floor plans for shopping malls and airports within its Maps app.

At first, these will cover a small selection of world cities, including London - and Heathrow and Gatwick - with more locations to be added at a later date.

Speed limits and lane guidance have also been added to make navigating on the roads a little easier.

Do Not Disturb while driving

Building on its Do Not Disturb function, Apple has introduced a potentially life-saving Do Not Disturb While Driving feature, to ensure drivers stay focused on the road.

This works by detecting when you are driving and automatically silencing notifications to keep the screen dark.

Users also have the option of sending an auto reply to contacts listed in Favorites to let them know they are driving and cannot respond until they arrive at their destination.

Apple is introducing new Loop and Bounce effects to Live Photos, allowing users to create continuous video loops - in a similar way to Instagram's Boomerang feature.

The updated Photos app will also automatically create "memory movies" from collections of photos of pets or birthdays on your iOS device.

Apple has improved the experience of taking photos in portrait mode - bringing them into line with landscape photos with features such as optical image stabilisation, True Tone flash and HDR.

Moreover, Apple introduces a new technology called High Efficiency Image File Format that reduces the file size of every photo taken, so they take up less space on your iPhone.

Following the massive success of Niantic's Pokemon Go app last year, augmented reality has shot to the top of the agenda.

This means apps that overlay computer graphics on top of real-world images.

Apple is introducing a new platform for developers to help them bring augmented reality experiences to iPhone and iPad using the built-in camera and motion sensors.

ARKit allows developers to tap into the latest computer vision technologies to build virtual content for interactive gaming and immersive shopping experiences.

One such game - Wingnut AR - was showcased at WWDC and will be landing later in the year.

With iOS 11, Apple is integrating Apple Pay into the Messages app, allowing users to make and receive payments with friends and family instantly on their phones.

Users can send money and get paid in Messages, or tell Siri to pay someone, using the credit and debit cards they already have in Wallet.

When users get paid, they receive the money in their new Apple Pay Cash account, which they can send on to someone else, or make purchases using Apple Pay in stores, apps and on the web.

Alternatively, they can transfer it from Apple Pay Cash to their bank account.

Person-to-person payments and Apple Pay Cash will launch in the US in the autumn. The company has not yet announced plans to launch it in other countries.

iOS 11 will include a couple of features that are specific to the iPhone X, which was unveiled at Apple's special event at its new headquarters in Cupertino on September 12.

These include FaceID - a new authentication technology that can verify the user's identity by scanning their face in 3D. FaceID replaces TouchID on the iPhone X.

iOS 11 also includes support for Animoji - 3D, live rendered emoji, which track your facial expressions and create animated characters to use in iMessages. </s> iOS 11 is the next generation of Apple's operating system for iPhones and iPads. New features include sweeping new upgrades to Siri, a redesigned Control Center and App Store, and a brand-new Apple Pay feature that lets you send or receive money to your contacts via iMessage.

In addition, developers can now create apps that tap into your iOS device’s potential to create augmented reality experiences via the new ARKit. Plus, there are new productivity features for the iPad, including drag-and-drop capability and a new Mac-style Dock.

Here’s everything we know so far about iOS 11, plus a bunch of the new features that we can’t wait to try.

Editors’ note: We’ve updated this story to include a link to our full review of iOS 11.

What can iOS 11 do for you? A lot, especially if you are a serious iPad user. It's great for the iPhone, too. You can get the details in our full review of iOS 11.

What devices will iOS 11 run on?

When will iOS 11 be available?

At Apple’s iPhone X event, the company announced that iOS 11 will be available on September 19, 2017.

Yes, Apple released the first public beta on Monday, June 26—and anyone can give it a whirl (at their own risk). Here’s everything you need to know about how to safely install the iOS 11 public beta.

Just remember that this is a beta version of the new software, so make sure you backup your iOS device before venturing into this unknown territory. Better yet, we recommend installing the public beta profile on a secondary iOS device (if you have one) so that you can test it without fear that it will screw something up.

Apple continues to release public betas after the final version is released. You get betas of the iOS 11 updates before they are available to the public.

The first new thing you’ll notice about Siri in iOS 11 is her more-natural sounding voice. However, she also looks a little different: Apple has given its voice assistant a new visual interface that surfaces multiple results for your requests, as well as followup questions. In addition, Siri can now translate phrases for you, from English to Chinese, French, German, Italian, and Spanish. This feature is in beta, and Apple will add more languages in the months to come.

Siri has also become more predictive across different iOS apps. For example, if you search for “Iceland” in Safari, Siri will surface Iceland-related articles in the News app and bring up QuickType suggestions in Icelandic. Or, if you get a text message asking for money, Siri will suggest iMessage’s Apple Pay integration with the exact amount that’s been requested. Apple has also expanded SiriKit support to include more robust integrations with third-party services. You can now use Siri to add to your Evernote or pull up a QR code in WeChat, among other things.

How is Apple Pay more like Venmo?

You can use Apple Pay at certain brick-and-mortar stores (Apple says 50 percent of U.S. retailers will support Apple Pay by the end of the year), online web stores via Safari, and in certain iPhone apps. With iOS 11, you’ll be able to use Apple Pay to send or receive money from your contacts via Messages, thanks to a new iMessage app which essentially turns Apple Pay into your new Venmo or Square Cash alternative.

All the money that you receive will be collected in your Wallet app in the form of a Cash card. You can use these funds to complete other Apple Pay transactions, or you can transfer that cash over to your bank account. Apple Pay’s peer-to-peer transactions will be available in iOS 11 and watchOS 4.

Can I do more with Live Photos?

Yes! Apple has given us more editing tools for Live Photos, those moving images that you can take using an iPhone 6s and later. You can turn your Live Photos into video loops that replay over... and over... and over. The Photos app will even suggest Live Photos that would make for great loops. You can also add a “Bounce” effect so that the Live Photo plays and then rewinds, kind of like Instagram Boomerangs. There’s also a new Long Exposure effect which makes the iPhone even more like a DSLR.

Don’t Live Photos take up a lot of space?

That’s true, but thankfully Apple has addressed this issue by switching to a more space efficient encoding system. For videos, iOS 11 uses HEVC (aka H.265), which is twice as efficient as the previous H.264 format. For still photos, iOS 11 uses HEIF (High Efficiency Image Format) which Apple claims will take up only half the space.

Where will I be able to use Maps indoors?

Apple continues to improve the native Maps app in iOS 11. For the first time, you’ll be able to use Maps to navigate your way around indoor spaces. Maps in iOS 11 introduces indoor mapping so you can get detailed floor plans of certain malls and major airports, down to individual vendors on each floor.

To start off, Maps will have indoor support for malls in Boston, Chicago, Hong Kong, London, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, San Jose, Tokyo, and Washington D.C. Maps will also be able to show you around inside 30 major airports including JFK and London Heathrow.

How does “Do Not Disturb While Driving” work?

Another feature introduced at WWDC is iOS 11’s “Do Not Disturb While Driving” mode. Your iPhone will use Bluetooth (if connected to CarPlay or any other in-vehicle Bluetooth system) or motion sensors to figure out if you’re driving, and will automatically prevent all notifications from surfacing and causing a distraction. You can override this mode, however, or setup an automatic response to let people who text you know you’re on the road and that you’ll get back to them as soon as you arrive at your destination.

Tim Cook has spent all year talking about how excited he is for augmented reality, so it’s no surprise that Apple used this year’s WWDC keynote to show off what they’ve been working on in this emerging area. Alongside iOS 11, Apple unveiled ARKit, a new developer platform for creating iOS apps that tap into augmented reality. Apps built with ARKit will be able to use computer vision to identify surfaces and add 3D objects. These objects create dynamic shadows that are rendered in real-time.

iOS 11 will be released this fall. In the meantime, companies are posting videos of what can be done with ARKit. For example, Kabaq is showing how AR can be used by restaurants to enhance their menus. The video below demonstrates how the company uses ARKit.

This video below is a trailer for a game called ARZombi. ARKit was used so your location gets incorporated into the game.

One more video below: This one is another game, called RoVR.

Did the iPad get more macOS-type features?

You bet! There’s a new app Dock that looks a lot like the one in macOS, making it a lot easier to switch between apps. You can also press on any of these apps and drag them over to the right side of the screen to open them as a Slide Over. As always, you can lock Slide Over into Split View to use both apps simultaneously.

The Dock can be accessed from any screen and you can customize it with your favorite apps. Also, it has a dynamic section on the right side that changes to suggest recently-used apps across your Apple devices.

Yes! Apple finally answered our prayers. With iOS 11, you can drag-and-drop between the two apps in Split View, which makes it easier to transfer files, images, text, and URLs. You can drag-attach images from the Photos to Mail, or drag-copy-and-paste directions from Safari into Maps.

And how does the new Files app work?

Apple also launched Files, a new iOS app intended to make the iPad experience more like a traditional Mac. Pretty self-explanatory, Files displays your documents stored in iCloud, Dropbox, Google Drive, and other file-storage apps.

Are there new ways to use Apple Pencil?

Yes, Apple has expanded Apple Pencil support for iPad Pro in iOS 11. Tap a PDF or screenshot with the tip of the Pencil and you’ll be able to scribble on it instantly thanks to a new feature called Instant Markup. Similarly, you can Pencil tap on the Lock screen to start writing. All your handwritten creations will be automatically saved to your Notes app, and these handwritten notes are searchable, too.

Notes also has a new built-in Document Scanner, allowing you to scan a document, sign it or mark on it with Apple Pencil, then save or share—all with just your iPad Pro. In addition, Notes and Mail now support Inline Drawing so you can add some color to your emails and notes. The text will automatically move out of the way when you start drawing, so that everything remains legible.

Control Center has been redesigned so that it’s only one panel. You can customize it with your go-to’s like Low-Power Mode and use 3D Touch to adjust more-specific controls.

App Store now mirrors the look-and-feel of Apple Music, with a new Today tab for featured games and apps.

Messages App Drawer makes it easier to access your favorite iMessage apps by swiping across the bottom of the screen, instead of having to tap back to the drawer every time you want to switch apps.

Apple Music gets more social: New profile photos indicate when one of your friends has listened to a certain albums or playlist.

QuickType Keyboard is now easier to use one-handed. Simply long-press on the emoji key to bring the keys closer to your thumb. For iPad users, you can now flick down on a specific key to type a number or punctuation mark, instead of having to switch to the symbols keyboard.

Stay tuned for more iOS 11 coverage, including hidden features, tips and tricks, and how-to’s for making the most out of your iPhone and iPad. We’ll continue to update this story as more info becomes available. </s> It's the gift to iPhone and iPad owners who don't want to buy a new gadget.

Apple's latest mobile operating system iOS 11 is now available as a free download. The redesigned software packs in big changes and minor tweaks, some you may never even see.

The update is available on smartphones as far back as the iPhone 5S. (For iPad compatibility, see here). Or you can wait and buy an iPhone 8 or iPhone 8 Plus, which hits stores on Friday, or hold off for the iPhone X coming later this year.

Here are a few highlights and tips.

Wait to update

Just because you can download iOS 11 today doesn't mean you should. Follow some classic advice: Wait until Apple releases its first minor update, especially if you're on an older device.

The first versions of operating systems invariably have some bugs in them. Because Apple (AAPL) makes public betas available, it's likely the company has already worked through some of the major glitches. But if trouble shooting your iPhone in the middle of a Tuesday sounds like a pain, hold off.

Whenever you decide to update, do a full back up of everything on your phone first.

The control center is better, at last

The Control Center has always been a bit troubled. In its most recent incarnation, it was split into two windows: one for music and one for everything else.

In iOS 11, it's unified, simplified and fills the whole screen on an iPhone. You can even customize what settings appear. The buttons look nice and the brightness and volume sliders work great.

Speaking of volume and long overdue changes, Apple has finally fixed the annoying giant volume slider that blocks videos. Now if you're watching something and want to turn it up a notch, the volume appears in the corner.

Augmented reality is a kick

There is a beating heart in the middle of my house and it's blocking my view of the front door. It's part of the Insight Heart app, one of the early augmented reality apps available for iOS 11. Like AR in general, it is genuinely neat to play with but it's not clear how useful it really is.

Augmented reality apps use the iPhone and iPad's cameras, gyroscopes and accelerometers to sense where you are in the world. They can quickly map out the surfaces in front of you, like a desk or floor, and accurately estimate the lighting. The apps then places 3D images on top of a live view from the camera.

The IKEA app lets you place furniture in the room, while the Sky Guide app overlays real constellations on top of the sky. Shopping and gaming will be obvious early hits, but it will be exciting to see what unexpected uses developers come up with.

Augmented reality apps will only be accessible on iPhone 6S or later devices.

The App Store is kind of like a blog now

Apple (AAPL) really thinks app developers are entertaining. The company has launched a TV show about the coders, and now it's dedicating a tab in the redesigned App Store to original posts about apps and the people who make them.

There are more than 2 million apps in the App Store. Finding the exact one you wants seems like a technical problem -- the kind that could be solved by collecting data on your preferences. Instead, Apple has hired human editorial staffers to find the best apps to recommend. The Today tab features new articles and interviews every day.

It's also a nice way to avoid bad apps that have gamed their way to the top downloads lists.

Siri is trying to sound more human

Siri's voice has undergone a few changes to make it sound more conversational. It changes speed during a sentence, goes up at the end of a question, and even pauses to "take a breath."

It also has a few new tricks, but the best is instant translations. Try, "Siri, how do you say 'How much is that jaunty cap' in Chinese?" Apple is slowly opening up its voice assistant to third party developers, so you can make bill payments or use it for third-party notes and reminders.

Apple is also feeding Siri more information about your habits to help it predict what you'll want to do next. The smarts show up in other places where Siri doesn't actually talk. For example, auto suggestions in Messages and search suggestions populate based on the last thing you were reading in Safari.

The iPad inches closer to being a work device

iOS 11 has some clever additions just for the iPad. It's borrowed the Dock from the Mac, so there's always a row of app shortcuts on the bottom of the screen. The app switcher shows previews of the last thing you were doing in each app.

Apple is finally bringing a file management system to the iPad -- something that's been long requested by anyone trying to do real work. There are a number of small changes that make multi-tasking easier, including the ability to drag and drop text, files and photos between apps.

A little something everywhere

There are new features hiding in almost every corner of iOS 11, like the Accessibility Setting that lets you type questions for Siri. There's the updated Notes app that does handwriting detection and scans documents, and new special effects in Messages. There are new photo effects to loop Live Photos or make long exposures, and Do Not Disturb will try and keep drivers focused on the road.

Apple's peer-to-peer payment tool, which lets people send cash to friends over Messenger or using Siri, will come to iOS 11 in a fall release.

Overall, the iOS 11 update is a refreshed look that includes with some much needed improvements. But the real draw is testing out the new augmented reality apps. </s> We’ve been learning rather more about tomorrow’s event than Apple would like thanks to iOS 11 GM firmware leaked to us on Friday evening. Info we were able to glean from the code ranged from new wallpapers to the apparent names of this year’s iPhones.

But while 9to5Mac readers may be in for fewer surprises than most, there’s still no substitute for watching the keynote live …

Apple will be live-streaming the event from the new Steve Jobs Theater tomorrow at the following times:

From an iPhone, iPad or Mac, just head to the Apple Special Event webpage. On an iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch, you’ll need to be using Safari on a device running iOS 9.0 or later. On a Mac, you’ll need to use Safari on a machine running macOS 10.11 or later. You can also watch it on a PC running Windows 10, where you’ll need to use the Microsoft Edge browser.

On an Apple TV, you’ll find the event in the Apple Events app. If you have a 4th generation box, you’re all set. If you have the 2nd or 3rd generation model, you’ll need to make sure it’s running software 6.2 or later.

We’ll of course also be bringing you live coverage of the event.

And if you want to catch up on everything we’ve learned from the iOS 11 GM, you can check out the stories below:
• Leaked iOS 11 GM reveals several vibrant (and OLED black) new wallpapers and more [Video]
• LTE Apple Watch with new face and red-accented digital crown
• LTE Apple Watch uses same phone number as iPhone, some carriers to offer free/cheaper trial plans
• How setting up Face ID on the iPhone 8 will work
• iPhone 8 to feature Animoji, send 3D animated emoji based off your facial expressions
• How the iPhone 8 status bar will accommodate the notch
• Firmware points to new Apple Watch case finishes: ‘Blush Gold’ aluminium and ‘Gray’ ceramic
• iOS firmware indicates Apple to announce ‘iPhone 8’, ‘iPhone 8 Plus’ and ‘iPhone X’ on Tuesday </s> Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) 2017 keynote is due to start later tonight at 10.30 pm India Standard Time, and it looks like a new feature of the upcoming iOS 11 has been revealed. According to a tweet from a Twitter user Steve T-S, with the account handle name @stroughtonsmith, there’s a Files app on the way from Apple and users will need iOS 11 to run this on their iPhones or iPads.

Steve tweeted, “Ahead of iOS 11, a ‘Files’ app placeholder entry from Apple appears on the App Store. Requires iOS 11.0 or later.” Now if you go to the App Store currently, scroll down right to the bottom to look at Apps Made by Apple, you’ll see nothing on the list. It looks like the ‘Files’ was spotted online on the App Store, before it was officially taken down.

Files app will likely function as a File manager on Apple devices which are running iOS 11, though details about this upcoming app are clear at the moment. As Steve T-S has also noted on Twitter, there are several questions around what the Files app will be capable of doing.

For starters, will it allow Zip files to open, will allow for external files from other operating systems to be accessed on iOS. If those, this could mean a big change for Apple’s iOS users, and would actually make transferring content, etc a lot more convenient on iPhones, iPads.

He’s also noting that Apple’s Files will support only 64-bit processors, which means older iPhones might not get support for this new feature in the OS.

Of course, Android users will likely mock the addition of a ‘Files’ app, given Android has long had this kind of flexibility of giving users access to the file system. Apple’s Files app will be a part of iOS 11 and likely come pre-loaded on new devices with the OS. This means Apple’s upcoming iPhone 7s, iPhone 7s Plus, and yes the iPhone 8 as well.

Apple is expected to make a UI change in iOS 11 as well, and could introduce a ‘dark mode’ to the OS. Apple’s in-built apps like Apple Maps, iMessage, Photos, etc could get a massive upgraded in iOS 11. We could also see more features linked to Apple iPad Pro, including support for Apple Pencil coming to Safari, Maps, etc.

Apple iOS 11’s final public version is likely to be released around September, after the iPhones have been launched.

For all the latest Technology News, download Indian Express App </s> 4 things to know about Apple's iOS 11 software update

SUNNYVALE, Calif. (AP) — Holding off on upgrading your trusty old iPhone? You won't need a spiffy iPhone 8 in order to get new maps, photos and other features with a free software update Apple began rolling out Tuesday.

The iOS 11 update brings a variety of enhancements, including a new voice and functionality for the Siri virtual assistant and a new photo format to reduce file sizes.

Consider waiting a few days in case unexpected problems emerge. The update will work with iPhones and iPads going back a few years, but older models won't get all the new features.

Once you get iOS 11, here are four things to look for.

The Control Center offers easy access to the flashlight and other tools with a swipe up from the bottom. It got separated into multiple pages last year to increase the options available, but the extra swipes got annoying. With iOS 11, it's back to a single page. The extra options remain available, and Apple now lets you customize further, such as by adding an Apple TV remote or one-touch access to the voice recorder.

After taking a screenshot, you'll now see a thumbnail in a corner. Tap on it for the ability to quickly annotate and share it. Need to remember where you parked your car? Just screenshot a map and draw an arrow.

The update brings additional camera filters to tweak your photos. To find them, you can now swipe up as you're taking the shot; swipe down when you're done. With camera improvements, the iPhone 8 models automatically use an exposure-balancing technology called HDR and no longer save unadjusted versions. You can restore that in the settings, though it'll use more storage.

Apple Maps now offers speed limits and lane guidance on highways and indoor maps for some airports and shopping malls.

And a new feature detects when you're driving and keeps notifications from appearing on your lock screen, so you're not tempted to check. You can override that if you're in the passenger's seat - or traveling by plane or train, both of which can make the phone think you're driving.

Remember last year's gaming sensation "Pokemon Go "? For many people, it was their first taste of augmented reality , the blending of virtual images with real-life settings. More augmented reality apps are coming with new tools Apple is including with iOS 11 . Among other things, you'll be able to see how furniture will look in your real living room before you buy it.

Apple already has had artificial-intelligence software for cataloging photos and other internal features. It's now making those tools available to third-party developers. Such apps might now automatically identify food in an image and offer nutrition information.

Speaking of apps, Apple has also redesigned its app store to separate games from other apps and make recommendations more prominent.

As Apple tries to market its iPad Pro tablets as a laptop alternative, the iPad's software takes on characteristics resembling the Mac computer.

A Dock at the bottom offers quick access to recent and frequently used apps. The iPad gets new drag and drop capabilities to make it easier to move text and other content between apps. For instance, you can drag a location on a map into an email. Recent iPad models can now run three apps side by side, rather than just two.

Apple's payment system, Apple Pay, already lets people buy items at a retail store with a tap of the phone. It also enables web orders and charity donations. Coming soon is the ability to pay friends back for dinner or drinks, much the way PayPal and Venmo work.

Money you receive will go into an Apple Pay Cash account, automatically created if you don't already have one. Apple is hoping you'll use the balance to buy things with Apple Pay, though you can move money to a bank account. There's no fee when using a debit card or an existing balance. To encourage its use, the Apple Pay option will appear when texting about owing money.

Also coming later is the ability to sync Apple's Messages app between devices. Such syncing was previously inconsistent. Apple says that while syncing will now use its iCloud servers, it will keep all data encrypted and won't have access to the keys.

Tuesday's update brings new sharing and smart home capabilities designed for speakers. Much of this appears to prepare Apple for the December release of HomePod, a $349 smart speaker rivaling Amazon's Echo and Google Home. </s> Apple is expected on Wednesday to unveil its latest iPhones, kill the audio jack and announce a new version of the Apple Watch.

For iPhone owners, this is a chance to see if the next-generation smartphone -- likely called the iPhone 7 -- is worth an upgrade or waiting another year. Of course, tech fans are eager to see if the once groundbreaking company has something unexpected in store, too.

While Apple announcements used to electrify with unexpected hardware and software, guests and its signature "one more thing" surprise, the well-oiled rumor machine has since killed most of the mystery.

We'll be live at San Francisco's Bill Graham Civic Auditorium starting at 10:00 a.m. PT/1:00 p.m. ET. Check back for updates and photos of new gadgets as they're announced.

Fresh iPhones: Apple is expected to release two new iPhones, the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, and remove the traditional headphone jack. Other rumored changes include waterproofing and dual cameras for the Plus.

Jack controversy: The removal of the audio jack might make it easier to waterproof the iPhone, but will make all existing wired headphones obsolete, unless people buy an Lighting adapter.

Apple Watch 2.0: The Apple Watch came out last year, and until now, there's been no major hardware upgrades -- unless you consider different color straps "hardware". The new Apple Watch will likely look like its predecessor and include GPS but not tout its own cellular connection. This means users will still have to keep their iPhone nearby for the watch to work.

New software: Apple previewed major updates for all its operating systems -- iOS 10 for the iPhone and macSierra for Mac computers -- this summer at its developer conference. Now, the company is going to recap what's new and share final release dates. iOS 10 is the most exciting update, which has a ton of major feature additions for messaging, Siri and photos. </s> Sure, Apple may have held back a handful of top-secret iOS 11 features during its big WWDC 2017 keynote on Monday. After all, the company can’t include anything obvious in its early iOS 11 builds that might pull back the curtain prematurely on iPhone 8 details. But we can’t even think about the iPhone 8 right now because Apple just unleashed a truckload of hot new iOS 11 features.

Whether or not you were following along live as Apple unveiled iOS 11 during its big WWDC 2017 keynote, you’re obviously going to want a recap of all the biggest new iOS 11 features coming to the iPhone and iPad. In this post, you’ll find everything you need to know about the most exciting new features coming in iOS 11.

iOS 11 gets a redesigned app drawer that make iMessage apps and stickers much more accessible. Messages in iCloud is another new feature that will synchronize all of you conversation history across any new device you sing into. This also means that less needs to be stored on the device, freeing up precious storage.

Apple Pay will support person-to-person payments in iOS, and it’ll be integrated into Messages as an iMessage app. Users will be able to send and receive money just like they can with Paypal or Venmo.

Apple used deep learning to give Siri a much more natural sounding voice, and there’s a new male voice option. More importantly, Siri gets a new visual interface that makes results much more easy to digest. Siri can also translate into different languages now, just like other virtual personal assistants.

SiriKit gets a ton of new features in iOS 11, offering all kinds of new APIs for third-party app integration. Siri’s contextual capabilities have been expanded as well, and a user’s (encrypted) data is now synchronized across devices.

HEVC video encoding for videos is now used in the Camera app, and JPEG capture has been updated with new tech that allows photos to take up half as much space on your iPhone or iPad.

On the iPhone 7 Plus, users also get new features like HDR, enhanced Portrait Mode quality and more.

iOS 11’s Control Center has been completely redesigned. All of the features have been squeezed onto a single page, and 3D Touch will expand each different card, giving access to more options.

Lock Screen and Notification Center have been combined, which is a nice consolidation that further simplifies the UI a bit.

Apple’s Maps app in iOS 11 gets huge enhancements for indoor mapping beginning with malls and airports, allowing users to quickly and easily navigate shopping centers and airports when traveling. Speed limits and lane guidance have been added to Maps navigation.

Do Not Disturb While Driving mode will automatically black out the user’s display while driving, and notifications will not be displayed while driving. Auto-responses will be sent to anyone who texts, and certain users can be made allowed to break through (white list).

Speaker support has been added to HomeKit, and AirPlay 2 supports multi-room configuration and playback. More than a dozen wireless speaker manufacturers will support the new protocol, as will any speakers controlled by an Apple TV.

Apple now has 27 million Apple Music subscribers, and they’ll all now have access to music history for friends who have configured their playback to be public.

A new MusicKit for developers offers Apple Music APIs that can be used to integrate with third-party apps.

Apple announced that there are now 500 million weekly visitors to the App Store who have downloaded more than 180 billion apps to date. As for new features in iOS 11, developers will appreciate that Apple will review newly submitted apps much faster than before.Phased releases will also be supported, so that updates can be released in phases.

For consumers, the App Store has been completely redesigned.

A new Today tab will help users discover new apps, and a new Games tab gives games a dedicated tab. In-app purchases can be features on their own now as well.

A new Apps tab features all apps that aren’t games, and an Updates tab shows installed apps that have available updates or have been updated recently. Finally, a Search tab offers a new dedicated search interface.

iOS 11 offers enhanced augmented reality features courtesy of ARKit, a toolkit for developers. It allows apps to use computer vision for object recognition, and virtual objects can be placed on the display that are actually context-aware.

Thanks to Apple’s massive ecosystem of iOS devices, ARKit will be the largest augmented reality platform in the world when iOS 11 is released.

UPDATE: Apple also announced new iPad-only features in iOS 11:

The apps dock on the bottom of the iPad home screen will be available if you slide up on any screen, and it can hold many more apps.

A new app switcher view can be accessed by dragging the dock up and then continuing to drag upward.

Split view is enhanced with new app pairings that allow users to open multiple apps at once.

Drag and drop support allows users to drag and drop content between apps, and also drag UI elements inside apps to enable all sorts of different functionality.

A new Files app provides an oft-requested file manager on the iPad.

Apple will release iOS 11 beta 1 for developers (and anyone else who has the beta configuration profile installed on their iOS devices) sometime this afternoon. As has been the case in years past, the first public beta will be releases sometime later this month once all of the major bugs are addressed. Then the final version of iOS 11 will be released this coming September ahead of Apple’s iPhone 8 and iPhone 7s launch. </s> NEW YORK — Curious about the iPhone 8? Here's what's coming, courtesy of Apple's introduction of its new operating system.

Apple kept news of a tenth anniversary iPhone under wraps on day one of its Worldwide Developers Conference in San Jose, Calif.

But Tim Cook & Co. revealed plenty about the software that will be at the new iPhone’s core when it arrives, likely in the fall. As with prior iterations of Apple’s mobile operating system, iOS 11 also promises new features for current iPhone models. And Apple also reserved special love for iPads that the company can only hope helps revive a sagging brand.

iOS 11 was released as a developer preview today. Here are eleven of the changes coming to iOS that caught my attention:

The faddish popularity of last summer’s Pokemon Go release gave iPhone users an early sense of what augmented reality is all about, essentially layering characters and other “fake” stuff on top of the real world.

Using a platform called ARKit, developers will be able to exploit computer vision and take advantage of what Apple maintains will be “the largest AR platform in the world,” given the vast user base of iPhones and iPads that are out there. I’m eager to see the many ways developers might do just that, in gaming, commerce and more. One thing we know: augmented reality almost always makes for a cool demo, even in its simplest form as when an Apple executive made a faux steaming cup of coffee appear on an otherwise barren tabletop.

*Pay your friends in Messenger.

 Watch out, Venmo, PayPal and Square. Apple is enabling person-to-person payments inside the Messages app, via Apple Pay and with an assist from Siri. Apple still has some explaining to do when it comes to the finer details. For example, Apple executive Craig Federighi said on stage that when you receive money from a friend it will go into an Apple Pay Cash card, of which I’d like to learn more.

At least two of the new features coming to the Maps app are potentially very handy. Apple is adding what is says are detailed floor plan maps at a variety of shopping malls and major airports. And Apple will also provide a “lane guidance” view when you take the wheel of a car.

*Do not disturb while driving

Speaking of driving, this genuine safety feature is good news for drivers too easily distracted by notifications and alerts.

When you turn on Do Not Disturb While Driving, iOS 11 will silence alert and notifications while keeping the screen dark. iOS 11 will use Bluetooth or Wi-Fi to measure that you’re moving in a car and if so, to suggest activating the feature. If it is activated, anyone sending you a message will get an automated response telling them that you’ll see their message when you get where you’re going. If the message senders want to alert you about is truly urgent, they can reply urgent in the message to permit it to get through to you.

The proof will be in the pudding. But Apple insists that through machine learning and artificial intelligence, Siri will indeed get smarter in iOS 11, and also learn more about how to please you with personal experiences and suggestions by learning what you’re doing inside the Safari, News, Mail and Messages apps. Your Siri interactions are synced across devices (and encrypted.) I don’t know how much you’ll appreciate the new, supposedly more natural-sounding male and female Siri voices.

But international travelers will likely appreciate the fact that Siri will be able to translate English words and phrases into Chinese, French, German and Spanish.

iPhone photographers ought to welcome new features coming to the Photos and Camera apps, though of course I haven't put any of these to the test yet. (And who knows what kind of camera will be built into the next iPhone?) Such features include the ability to shoot Portrait Mode pictures (currently a feature on the iPhone 7 Plus only) with optical image stabilization. iOS 11 also lets you add effects and trim the short video snippets inside Live Photos images. And a new format called High Efficiency Image File Format can reduce the file size of the pics you take on an iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus.

New designs of any kind take getting used to but the changes to the Control Center where you can turn on Airplane mode, adjust the audio and more looks to be a positive step. Control Center packs such tools now in a single view, which you can get to with an upward swipe gesture. Meanwhile, a new lock screen also brings notifications into a unified view.

On the design front, the App Store is also getting a makeover. Highlights include a new Today view with featured app content--valuable real estate for chosen app sellers of course--as well as a dedicated Games section.

This is another feature I'll need to try. But Apple is promising easier one-handed typing, with easy access to numbers, symbols and punctuation.

Apple Music subscribers will be able to follow, contribute and listen to shared playlists with friends and create profiles so they in turn can follow you. What’s more, Apple has opened up Apple Music to developers, giving them full access to the 40 million songs in Apple’s cloud catalog. Apple noted on the WWDC stage that Nike can add exercise playlists through the catalog, or Shazam can automatically add the songs it identifies to your music collection. Meantime, while the newly-announced $349 Siri-controlled HomePod speaker isn't coming until December, the new AirPlay 2 feature in iOS 11, will let you control Apple TV and third party speakers in multiple rooms around the house, using Control Center, the Home app or Siri.

Beyond the iPhone, Apple says iOS 11 is the biggest software release ever for the iPad. Two benefits worth mentioning: drag and drop support and a new Files app, both of which would make a tablet such as the iPad Pro that much more like a Mac.
Apple Inc. releases the iOS 11 update for most current models of the iPhone and iPad.