Apple's iOS 9: What's new

Apple's iOS 9: What's new

As of today, Apple fans can upgrade to iOS 9. Is it worth the bother?

Here are some of the features we have been checking out:

Style

Oh, if you know your fonts, it's changed – hello San Francisco, goodbye Helvetica Nue.

Security

If you prefer a passcode to your thumb, you'll notice six digits are needed instead of four on touch-enabled devices, which makes them harder to crack. Just don't forget them like I did within about five minutes.

Siri

She just got submissive, for me only. iOS 9 has let me train her to recognise my voice commands only and ignore those other iPhone users who happen to be standing nearby. I like it.

She's also pretty good at finding my photos. Like most people, I've thousands of them, although mine are probably poorer than most. I'm not the world's best photographer even with an iPhone. Anyway, she can track down those semi-good ones I took last Christmas with a simple command.

Battery bonuses

iOS 9 has a Low Power Mode I can switch on that will minimise or disable unnecessary features like background app refresh and visual effects and therefore save on juice. It also knows when the phone is face-down on a table and won't turn on a screen, even with notifications.

Swiping right:

No, I'm not talking Tinder. It's something called Proactive – a bit like Google Now. It gets me a pane of people that I might want to, or perhaps feel obliged to, contact, and apps that I might need at a certain time or place.

Split view:

This is a fantastic feature for the iPad if you've got one of the later models, as you can place two active apps side by side – gaming and watching how to play the game, anyone?

Notes: The app has been upgraded so I can add formatting, checkboxes and images, as well as write or draw using my finger in different pen types and colours. I can also share links from other apps directly to Notes.

Maps: You can find public transport information for various places, which is great if you're in London or New York City. You can't find anything, so far, for us, which is no surprise given our public transport system is practically non-existent.

iOS 9 is free to download and compatible with the iPhone 4s, iPad 2 and newer, iPad Mini and newer and the iPod Touch fifth generation devices.

Meanwhile, an Apple says they have "discovered a bug" in the development of watchOS 2.

"[It] is taking a bit longer to fix than we expected," a spokesperson says. "We will not release watchOS 2 today but will shortly."

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