Get ready for slammin' text messages.
Apple has announced that the next version of its mobile operating system will be released on September 13. The iOS 10 update will be available for iPhone 5s or newer. For iPads, you must have the Mini 2 or newer, and iPods must be 6th generation or newer. Of course, if you buy a new iPhone 7 or 7 Plus, it will have iOS 10 preloaded when it arrives.
Not all phones will receive the update on day of release---It could take more than 24 hours for iOS 10 to actually show up on your device. Once you get that alert and the infamous little red dot shows up on your Settings icon, your device is ready.
The update contains a host of new features. There are big changes coming to Apple's native iMessaging app, like cool birthday animations and text messages that "slam" into the conversation. You can draw on pictures that you send to friends too. Maybe more useful are the expanded Siri integrations. The voice assistant will now be able to order you a Lyft or Uber, and will gain more capabilities as developers build more functionality into their apps. But if you want to use those apps with Siri baked in, you've got to be running iOS 10. So definitely upgrade!
