Most of the hoopla at Apple’s fall product event may be about new hardware, but its operating system updates matter just as much—especially to folks who aren’t about to buy a new device. And the company just announced that iOS 10 will be available for iPhones and iPads starting on September 13.
Among its highlights:
• The ability to see notifications without unlocking your phone by lifting it toward you
• Richer notifications, including the ability to do things such as watch a video right inside a notification
• A far fancier Messages app, including additional emoji tricks and the ability to send texts in your own handwriting
• Support for third-party apps within Messages, Siri, and Maps
• Photos app improvements such as “Memories” that compile related images and the ability to search for keywords such as “cat” or “food”
• Refreshed interfaces for Apple Music and News