The iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus arrived with much fanfare at the company's annual launch event in September 2016 and came out in the UK almost instantly.

The devices have proven to be quite a hit for the smartphone manufacturer, and helped it reclaim its position as the top smartphone manufacturer in the world.

We round up all the latest news about the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus so you can keep on top of everything happening in the Apple-verse.

You can find our iPhone 7 review here.

Apple iPhone 7: at a glance

• iPhone 7 and 7 Plus UK release date was 16 September 2016
• iPhone 7 UK price starts at 549
• iPhone 7 Plus UK price starts at 669
• Get both models in 32GB or 128GB
• Available in a range of colours, including black, grey and red

iPhone 7: latest news

04/12/2017:Apple and (RED) raise over $30 million to fight AIDS

Apple has raised over $30 million this year for the Global Fund, a charity set upby U2 singer Bono and Bobby Shriver in 2006to fight AIDS.

The company made the announcement last Thursday, the day before World AIDS Day, and said over the past 11 years Apple customers have provided an equivalent of 475 million days of life-saving medication.

"Connecting through our products and services helps make it easy for our customers to join us in the effort to create the first AIDS-free generation," said Lisa Jackson, Apple's VP of environment, policy and social initiatives. "By working with (RED) to stop the transmission of HIV from mums to their unborn babies, we're already seeing a significant impact in areas where help is needed most. We're committed to continuing the fight and empowering future generations through these vital efforts."

(RED) has raised over $500 million since the company's inception.

"Apple's commitment to the AIDS fight is unparalleled. It's not just the staggering $160 million raised for the Global Fund that has impacted many millions of lives, it's their ability to bring heat, awareness, energy and eyeballs to keep this issue front and centre," said Deb Dugan, CEO at (RED). "Their unwavering support cannot be underestimated, and we thank every Apple employee for helping (RED) reach the milestone of half a billion dollars delivered to help end this disease."

To call attention to World AIDS Day 2017, more than 400 Apple stores featured a red Apple logo for the week. For every Apple Pay transaction made at a retail location, online or in-app, the company made a $1 donation to the Global Fund.

In March, Apple released a red version of the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus to raise money for HIV research efforts (see below).

22/03/2017: As predicted, Apple has released a red version of the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, to help raise money for HIV research efforts.

Some of the profits from the new iPhone will be donated to the charity (RED), which was founded by U2 frontman Bono and activist Bobby Shriver in 2006, to help fund efforts to combat HIV and deliver an "AIDS free generation". Apple has previously released red products, including a red iPod and red Apple Watch fluoroelastomer strap, also in aid of (RED).

James Moar, an analyst at Juniper Research told the BBCApple is trying desperately hard to be associated with ethical matters for the greater good and launching a (RED) iPhone, with profits going towards the foundation, goes some way to doing this.

"It is a way of them kind of beefing up that side of their business," he said.

All the money (RED) receives is donated to the Global Fund, which provides grants for HIV/AIDS programmes, including education, testing and treatment in areas most affected by the disease.

At the same time as launching the (RED) iPhone 7, the company also announced a new video app that would take cues from Snapchat's instant media sharing app.

"Fun effects including comic book filters, speech bubbles, shapes and full-screen animated posters help bring out the personality in videos made with Clips,"Apple said.

Continue reading to find out the iPhone 7's release date and price

iPhone 7 release date

The iPhone 7 and 7 Plus launched at Apple'sSpecial Event on 7 September, and both went on sale in the UK on 16 September. Pre-orders were available from 9 September.

iPhone 7 UK price

The iPhone 7 costs upwards of 549, and the 7 Plus upwards of 669.

The prices are higher than the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus were when they launched (539 and 619 respectively), but Apple has doubled the phones' storage capacities from 16GB, 64GB, and 128GB to 32GB, 128GB and 256GB. Apple no longer sells the 256GB version so you will have to look elsewhere if you want to purchase it.

However, like-for-like prices jumped: the iPhone 6 128GB model was priced at 699 at launch, and the iPhone 7 128GB model price is the same. But while the 6s Plus launched at 789, the iPhone 7 Plus 128GB model is 30 more expensive, at 819. Apple hasn't given a reason, but it is thought Brexit may have pushed the price up, after the UK's decision to leave the EU caused sterling to plummet in value. OnePlus raised its phone price from 309 to 329 in response to Brexit.

Check out our pricing table below for iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus UK prices.

iPhone 7 best deals

If you're happy to sign up to a 24-month contract for your iPhone, networks are furiously competing with each other to offer the best deals available, with inclusive minutes and texts, a variety of different data options and extra perks such as free music subscriptions or inclusive roaming abroad.

Three

Although Three's tariffs are by no way the cheapest per month, they do offer more data, minutes and unlimited texts. For example, opt for a mammoth 4GB data for the 32GB iPhone 7 and you'll pay just 38 a month, although there is a 149 upfront cost.

For the 128GB version, this increases to 43 a month, with the same 149 upfront, while the 256GB version will only cost an extra 5 a month - for all that extra storage!

As is usually the case, the best prices are for two-year contracts, so although long-term, they're the most manageable on a monthly basis.

O2

If you'd rather pay a lot less upfront, but are happy paying a bigger monthly fee, O2's tariffs could be just the biscuit. Starting at just 39.99 upfront for the 32GB iPhone 7, this network's cheapest tariff is 60 a month. But that will give you an absolutely ridiculous 30GB a month data, meaning you can probably scrap your broadband too.

For a more sensible, everyday option, you can pay the slightly higher fee of 59.99 upfront and then 46.50 a month if you think you'll only use 3GB data a month

That same tariff for the 128GB version will add an extra fiver onto the monthly cost, while upping the capacity to 256GB will set you back 56.50 a month, with the handset costing a tenner cheaper at 49.99 upfront.

EE

EE's forte is 4G network coverage and as you'd expect, all of its iPhone 7 plans come with 4G support.

Like O2, EE is focussing on cutting the upfront cost of the iPhone 7 in order to attract those who'd rather pay for the majority of their device over a two-year period.

For example, 55.99 a month will get you the 32GB iPhone 7, 7GB data, unlimited calls and texts, plus you'll only need to pay 9.99 upfront. Upgrade to the 128GB iPhone 7 and you'll pay 49.99 upfront, with monthly repayments of 55.99. OK, maybe not as attractive as the smaller capacity iPhone 7, but not a bad proposition if you're after 5GB data.

The best deal for the 256GB iPhone 7 will increase that upfront payment to 99.99 a month, but it'll give you 10GB data for 60.99 a month.

Vodafone

Vodafone offers the most interesting added extras for anyone who likes a freebie. With the company's Red bundles, you can opt to add on a NOW TV Entertainment Pass, Spotify Premium or Sky Sports Mobile TV package when you sign up, but beware - these add-ons come with a cost because the contract prices are some of the highest out there.

The 32GB version is available from 32 a month, with a hefty 250 fee upfront, while the 128GB version ups this to 37 a month with 300 upfront. If you want to get your hands on the 256GB version, that'll cost 42 a month with 320 when you sign up. These lowest tariffs will get you a tiny 500MB data, 500 minutes to UK phones and unlimited texts, which probably won't even satisfy the average device user.

GiffGaff

If you want to buy the iPhone 7 upfront from Apple whether by paying the full 599-799 or its pay monthly plan, GiffGaff offers the best rolling, SIM-only contracts to save you money over the lifetime of the device.

The no-frills network is charging 20 a month for its tariff, which, if you add that onto the cost of the handset, turns out you're paying between 1,079 and 1,179 over a 12-month period.

iPhone 7 colours

The iPhone 7 is available in five colours - Jet black, regular black, silver, gold and rose gold.

The exclusive Jet black colour, which is a brand new colour for Apple, is only available in 128GB and 256GB iterations, presumably designed to exude luxury.

It's a high-gloss finish produced using a nine-step anodisation and polishing process and although its surface is equally as hard as other anodised Apple products, the company warns its high shine might show up scratches more than the other colourways. It therefore suggests you hide the shiny surface away by slipping it into a case to protect the fragility surface - a bit pointless if you want to show off you have the brand new colour.

In terms of pricing for the different coloured editions, they all enter the market at the same price, although it's possible retailers will reduce some of the more unpopular colours as the iPhone 8's appearance approaches in order to get rid of stock.

iPhone 7 features

iPhone 7 operating system

The iPhone 7 family runsiOS 10.

The advantage of iOS 10 is it will automatically protect against a recently discovered iPhone threat, dubbed Trident. Trident is particularly dangerous for companies with iPhone deployments, because once installed, it syphons off messages - encrypted or not - to the hacker who launched the attack. That means all data on a business device is at risk of being stolen. While Apple quickly addressed the vulnerability with a patch in iOS 9.3.5, not everyone will have downloaded it, but iOS 10 will include the patch too.

iPhone 7 camera and photos

The camera has become something of a flagship feature for Apple's smartphones and the iPhone 7 is no exception.

The iPhone 7 sports a 12-megapixel camera, the same as the iPhone 6s, and offers three times longer exposure than its predecessor. It also lets 50% more light onto the sensor, which is 60% faster than the 6s's, too.

Apple's image signal processor, which is the brains of the camera, uses machine learning to identify people and objects in photos and to set white balance. The processor is also capable of recognising a greater variety of colours, as well.

While the iPhone 7's camera is a clear improvement on the last, it's the iPhone 7s camera that really catches the eye. For a start, it has two cameras - a wide-angle lens and a telephoto lens, allowing it to zoom up to 10x on a shot without compromising image quality.

iPhone 7 display

Compared to the iPhone 6s's screen, the iPhone 7 is 25% brighter, utilising a feature called Wide Color for the first time. Wide Color is Apple's term forDCI-P3, a range of colours that became a standard for digital movie projection in the US film industry.

While both the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus have Wide Color, they lack True Tone (which the 9.7in iPad Pro does have).

One of the biggest changes on the iPhone 6s was the 3D Touch screen - an advancement on the Force Touch technology seen on the Apple Watch and most recent MacBook. You'll be glad to know that 3D Touch has now made it to the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus.

3D Touch allows sensors below the screen to detect whether the user has applied a tap, a press, or a deep press. It is this deep press recognition that is used for Live Photos, as well as 'Peeks' which let you see previews of emails, websites and photos, and 'Pops', which let you open the full email, site or photo simply by pressing down harder.

Siri

Siri has been part of iPhone since 2010, but its appearance in iOS 10 brings a whole heap of updates to the six-year-old voice assistant, so it's cleverer than ever before.

It alreadysits at the heart not just of iPhone, but also iPads, Apple TV and the company's burgeoning smart home ecosystem.

But with iOS 10, Siri becomes a bigger part of many of your go-to apps. On stage, Craig Federighi showed how wider Siri support works: You can instruct it to "Send aWeChattoNancysayingI'll be five minutes late", for instance. By opening up Siri to third-party developers, Apple has made it more useful - it'll soon be present in WhatsApp, Uber, Lyft, Slack, Map My Run, Pinterest and more.

Continue reading for iPhone 7 specs

iPhone 7 specs

iPhone 7 processor, storage and RAM

In terms of hardware, the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus use a new A10 system-on-a-chip (SOC), the successor to the A9 SOC that powers the iPhone 6s, 6s Plus and SE.

The A10 is 40% faster than the A9 and is twice as fast as the old A8, while it boasts 3.3 billion transistors and four cores.

While the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus have 2GB of RAM, the same as the 6s and 6s Plus, Apple has overhauled its storage tiers. Starting by axing the 16GB and 64GB models, the 7 and 7 Plus double the storage capacities of the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus. Instead of 16GB, 64GB and 128GB, the 7 family comes in 32GB, 128GB and 256GB sizes. The Jet Black colour iPhone is only available in the last two sizes.

iPhone 7 battery life

Apple believes the 7's battery life is two hours longer than that of the 6s, and the 7 Plus offers one hour longer than the 6s Plus.

By the tech giant's count, the 7 offers up to 14 hours talk time on 3G, compared to the 7 Plus's 21 hours. The iPhone 7 offers internet use for 12 hours on 3G and 4G and 14 hours on Wi-Fi; the 7 Plus can do 13 hours on 3G and 4G, and 15 hours on Wi-Fi.

Standby time is up to 10 days on the 7 and 16 days on the 7 Plus.

iPhone 7 casing and headphone jack

We'll get to the headphones in just a moment; one important, less-talked-about improvement on the iPhone 7 is the much-hated antennae bands that covered the top back of the chassis on previous models.

These were included to allow radio waves to penetrate the new metal chassis design, but Apple has improved its technology and design to do away with them on the iPhone 7, hiding them away inside the chassis instead.

Headphone jack

Apple has killed the headphone jack on the iPhone 7. Yes, that's right, the 3.5mm port for headphones is no more. Instead, Apple is shipping EarPods with each iPhone 7 sold - these connect through the Lightning port instead of the jack. If you're attached (forgive the pun) to your own set of headphones, though, don't worry: Apple also includes an adaptor in the box, so you can plug your own headphones into the Lightning port instead.

But, of course, Apple hasn't stopped there. Always intent on surprising people, the tech giant also revealed the AirPods (pictured above). These wireless earpieces rely on Bluetooth to connect to your iPhone, and use infrared to detect when they're in your ears - they won't play when they're just in your pocket. In a neat touch, you can also double tap them to speak to Siri.

Continue reading for iPhone 7 colours, versions, accessories and to find out if it will be a success

iPhone 7 versions, colours and accessories

iPhone 7 versions and colours

The iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus will keep the iPhone's current dimensions of 4.7in and 5.5in across the diagonal respectively, but they'll boast all new colours.

The iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus will be available in RoseGold, Gold, Silver, Black, and Jet Black, getting rid of the Space Gray colour of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6s.

Accessories

All iPhones come with ear pods included, and the iPhone 7 is no exception. However, tech-loving users may choose to upgrade and buy the AirPods (above) or even one of Apple's Beats wireless headphones, instead.

As with previous editions, the iPhone 7 will have its fair share of accessories, including a smart battery pack case that can charge the phone on the go, and a Lightning Dock to charge and sync the device.

Will the iPhone 7 be a success?

At a consumer level, it is highly unlikely that the iPhone 7 and its variants will bomb. As reported by Nikkei in January, although there was a glut of inventory in the first quarter of 2016, "Apple's products and brand have not lost their appeal, and older models have continued to sell".

Indeed, iPhones were a major driving force behind Apple's record-breaking Q4 2015 financial results.

Additionally, the iPhone 7 is a new model, rather than an 's' series update like the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus.

iPhone 7 in the enterprise

Apple has been working hard to boost its presence in the enterprise, primarily through partnerships with other large tech companies such as Cisco and IBM, leveraging these to create a $25 billion business selling to B2B.

While it has largely been thought these alliances have been formed to help push the use of iPads as business devices, officially they are for all products running on iOS - which includes iPhones.

However, research group Ovum tellsIT Pro that the iPhone 7 won't enhance Apple's enterprise strategy particularly.

Mike Sapien, analyst for Ovum's US Enterprise Practice, said: "I did not hear anything specific that will build on its enterprise strategy or adoption. At the same list price, it seems like the only major attraction will be any upgrade program that promotes the upgrade or switch from Android devices, which are not likely but may be offered by the mobile operators. I can't see major moves by businesses to promote the switch from what I have heard so far."';

However, the use of iOS in business grew in Q3 2015, according to a report from Good Technology, having lost some market share to Android in the first half of the year, and it has always been the most popular OS used in the enterprise.

With this in mind, it is likely, therefore, that the iPhone 7 will eventually be a success in the enterprise although uptake will almost certainly be slower and steadier than in the consumer space.

News

06/03/2017:A red iPhone 7 could be the newest addition to Apple's flagship device line up, according to rumours. Not only that,Get Readinghas suggested it could be launching later this month at an as yet unannounced Apple event that could also see the release of a new iPad Pro and a higher capacity iPhone SE.

This would be in keeping with Apple's usual March announcement, which is the only time it tends to launch new products apart from September.

A red iteration of the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus would be in support of Bono and Bobby Shriver'sHIV/AIDS campaign, under the (RED) banner. Apple has taken part in the campaign for the last few years, alongside other companies such as Mophie, which makes a special edition red Juice Pack for the iPhone 7 already and Beats, another Apple-owned company, which has launched special edition headphones for the cause.

The (RED) iPhones in the past haven't cost any extra, although companies involved are required to donate a proportion of the sales to the charity.

24/02/2017:Samsung isn't the only mobile maker with battery woes: Apple is now investigating an apparent battery fire on the iPhone 7 Plus.

Video of a phone owned by a teenager in Arizona is making the rounds, showing the device smoking with a cracked body.

The iPhone owner had brought the device into an Apple Store the day before the incident, complaining that it wasn't turning on. It started to smoke while plugged in to charge next to her as she slept.

Apple has reportedly said it's in touch with the customer and looking into the incident.

While there have been reports of other iPhone 7 Plus batteries overheating, the handset has been on sale since September with few such complaints, suggesting the issue may be a few flawed or damaged batteries, rather than a widespread fault like that seen by Samsung.

09/11/2016:Apple's new iPhone 7 came with a new choice of colour, 'Jet Black', which gives the smartphone a glossy appearance, thanks to a nine-step process that includes anodisation and polish.

This new colour was extremely popular among iPhone 7 customers, despite reports that it was extremely delicate and could be damaged fairly easily.

According to a report written by the Japanese publicationMac Otakara, Apple could be considering whether to add a new 'Jet White' colour to those available for iPhone 7 smartphones.

Demand for Apple's new device is particularly high, with many customers still waiting to receive their iPhone 7, particularly in the new Jet Black colouring, and in its Plus version.

On October 25, during a conference call with analysts, Apple chief financial officer Luca Maestri said: "Worldwide demand for iPhone 7 and 7 Plus has significantly outpaced supply, particularly on iPhone 7 Plus."

Apple's new flagship smartphone was launched on 16 September and comes with new features such as dual camera and wireless headphones connected to the phone through a new system called lightening.

Other colours for the iPhone 7 include silver, normal black, gold and rose gold matte.

27/10/2016:Several websites are offering iPhone users in China the possibility to purchase 'iPhone makeover kits', false cameras and dust plugs that hide the headphone jack, to make an iPhone 6 or 6s look like the new iPhone 7.

Several iPhone users are buying these items and re-vamping their old Apple devices instead of buying the new flagship model.

Should this trend spread, it could be detrimental for Apple, which is hoping the new device will help boost its sales.

This mirrors the popular opinion among Chinese Apple users that iPhone 7 is not innovative enough to prompt them to buy it.

A Beijing-based sales workertold Tech 2he was getting a Shenzhen firm to replace his iPhone 6's case, saying: "I don't have the money to upgrade, and the (iPhone) 7 is just so-so."

On Tuesday, Apple's last quarterly statement showed a decline in iPhone sales globally, with Greater China's revenue down by 30% to $8.79 billion.

Counterpoint analyst Neil Shah said: "The iPhone 7 series should help Apple regain lost (China) market share as demand is tracking better than for the iPhone 6s series. Apple needs to offer something cutting-edge to appeal to maturing Chinese smartphone users who are warming to local brands."

10/10/2016:Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak said he now thinks the new Lightning audio port on iPhone 7 was a good idea, inan interview withTechRadar.

In August, Wozniak toldThe Australian Financial Reviewthat he believed dropping the headphone jack would "tick off a lot of people".

However, he has since changed his mind, andhe said: "Not that many people used it, I never used it. For those who do use it, you can buy a little adaptor dongle."

Wozniak also had a change of heart in regards to the Apple Watch. "I've come to like my Apple Watch more... I use it enough in my life for things...I enjoy using it and having it. And when I don't use it, I don't even know it's there," he toldTechRadar.

In March, the Apple co-founder had expressed his scepticism about the wearable in a post onReddit. The post read: "I worry a little bit about- I mean I love my Apple Watch, but - it's taken us into a jewelry market where you're going to buy a watch between $500 or $1100 based on how important you think you are as a person.

"The only difference is the band in all those watches. Twenty watches from $500 to $1100. The band's the only difference? Well this isn't the company that Apple was originally, or the company that really changed the world a lot."

Wozniak engineered Apple 1, the first home computer with keyboard and TV screen as a display. While Steve Jobs took care of the creative aspect of Apple products, Wozniak was the mind behind the construction of Apple's first computers and devices.

30/09/2016:An iPhone 7 has reportedly exploded during delivery, prompting fears that Apple's flagship may be suffering similar battery problems tothe ill-fated Samsung Galaxy Note 7.

One customer received their device only to discover that it appeared to have caught fire and exploded while en route, according to colleague andReddit user 'kroopthesnoop'.

They posted photos of their coworker's destroyed iPhone, noting that they're "not certain" what happened but adding, "something happened between the factory and delivery".

The pictures show that the iPhone was discoloured, partially melted and with the screen coming away from the chassis. The unit bears a strong resemblance to the Note 7 models which overheated and exploded, an incident which prompted Samsung to initiate a full recall of the device.

However, unlike the Note 7, this fault does not appear to be affecting numerous devices. Apple did not respond when asked if multiple customers had reported similar issues.

26/09/2016:Research firm GfK has revealed iPhone 7 sales were lower than expected, saying sales of both the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus were down 25 per cent year-on-year.

If GfK's numbers are right, that means Apple shifted less than 10m iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus handsets between September 16th and 19th.

However, unlike previous years, Apple didn't release its own sales figures for the iPhone 7 on its launch weekend, explaining in its statement it was due to distribution complications rather than negative shipment results.

"In years past, we've announced how many new iPhones had been sold as of the first weekend following launch. But as we have expanded our distribution through carriers and resellers to hundreds of thousands of locations around the world, we are now at a point where we know before taking the first customer pre-order that we will sell out of iPhone 7.

These initial sales will be governed by supply not demand, we have decided that it is no longer a representative metric for our investors and customers. Therefore we won't be releasing a first-weekend number any longer. We are reiterating the financial guidance for the September quarter that we provided on July 26."

However, Apple said it was expecting the same amount of interest from consumers in the launch weekend because it was allowing preorders a week before it was available from stores.

Last year, Apple sold 13m iPhone 6S and 6S Plus devices over the launch weekend compared to 10m iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus devices in 2014.

14/09/2016:The iPhone 7 has already broken pre-order records, according to US mobile networks.

Wireless carrier T-Mobile announced that once presales opened on 9 September, the iPhone 7 set a single-day sales record, more than any other smartphone ever sold by the company.

Sprint also announced that iPhone 7 and 7 Plus preorders increased by around 375% over the first three days of availability, when compared with last year's 6s and 6s Plus.

This demand was mirrored in the UIK, where the iPhone 7 launch spurred the biggest one-day spike in UK traffic to Apple's website that the site had ever seen. According to digital market intelligence firm SimilarWeb, the site received a 235% boost in visits on the iPhone 7's launch day.

07/09/2016 update:The iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus have both launched today at Apple's special event in San Francisco.

They have a new home button with force touch and taptic feedback, an A-10 chip, which makes them both faster and more battery efficient than their predecessors, the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus, and have a brighter, higher-resolution screen.

The worst-kept secret in tech - that the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus will have no 3.5mm headphone jack - was also confirmed. As expected, the devices will use the lightning connector as an audio output and will ship with a pair of lightning EarPods. The company is also launching a set of wireless "AirPods" (EarPods with no physical connector) in October, but they will cost 159.

Another widely rumoured feature a dual lens rear camera also turned out to be true. However, it is only available on the iPhone 7 Plus, not the iPhone 7.

iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 plus are available in five colours - Rose Gold, Gold, Silver, (shiny) Jet Black and (matte) Black.

Both smartphones are available to pre-order from 9 September and ship on 16 September when they also hit shelves in retail stores. iOS 10, which the devices will run on, is available to download from 13 September.

07/09/2016:It's iPhone 7 launch day!

The iPhone 7 and its big brother, the iPhone 7 Plus, are set to be announced today at a special launch event in San Francisco, amidst much fanfare.

Rumours so far indicate the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus will look identical to the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, with a handful of new features - some controversial, others a little more mainstream.

Last night, a leak from Apple's own store showed the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus listed as compatible devices for some accessories, including the company's new EarPods.

Recent rumours suggest Apple will scrap the 3.5mm headphone port and instead insist people use Bluetooth to connect or be forced to buy an adaptor so they fit into the device's Lightning port.

It also may introduce a pressure-sensitive home button that won't have moving parts like the iPhone, which will also help it be more waterproof too.

The camera may be upgraded too, with storage options ranging from 32GB to 256GB.

Additionally, while the iPhone doesn't normally go on sale the same day it's announced,IT Prosources have indicated it is likely to be in UK shops from 19 September.

You can find out how to watch the event, plus follow our live blog from 5.30pm UK time,at our dedicated page.

Image credits: Main image and page 3 concepts Yasser Farahi - Oval Picture. Page 1 concepts, Marek Weidlich on Behance. Page 2 concept Jan-Willem Reusnik - Flickr. All image rights remain with the original creators.

Despite the highly anticipated launch of both the iPhone X and iPhone 8, last year's flagship iPhone continues to be a highly sought after device among Apple customers.

Apple's iPhone 7 was the world's best-selling phone in the third quarter of 2017 with around 13 million shipped units, according to Canalys, almost double that of the second most popular device, the iPhone 6s. Sales of the iPhone 8 have been muted somewhat by the launch of so many new Apple products in one season, and despite its positive reception, we're unlikely to see the same numbers still achieved by its predecessor.

But what makes the iPhone 7 such a big hit with smartphone buyers? We took a look to find out.

Headphone jack

The most widely talked-about news before the iPhone 7's launch was that Apple had ditched the iPhone's 3.5mm headphone jack. This prompted a fair amount of debate, with many grieving the loss of a port to plug into. This would be the beginning of a conscious effort to move away from legacy ports in favour of the Lightning connector that we see today. While encouraging users onto Apple's own compatible products makes sense from a business perspective, the direction is ultimately a loss for consumer choice.

Apple understands that its customers may be reluctant to change however, and has even thrown in a Lightning-to-3.5mm adaptor with the smartphone, if you just can't bear to part with your old cans.

The tech giant has also released a set of 'AirPods'; wireless earphones that look like regular Apple headphones with the cables missing. Not only are they absurdly expensive (surprise, surprise) but there's no connecting wire between the left and right earbuds, so if one falls out while you're out and about, you can kiss goodbye to half of your 159 investment. They're also less secure than other earbuds with locking wings or rubber tips, meaning they are more likely to fall out in the first place.

Home button

The home button has also been redesigned. It's no longer a physical button, but instead features Apple's own take on haptic feedback known as the 'Taptic' feedback engine, present in many of its other products. The Taptic engine provides varying levels of force feedback, using vibrations to mimic the feel of pressing a physical button. The sensation is a little odd at first, but you quickly get used to it, and the removal of one of the iPhone's few moving parts means there are fewer bits that can go wrong.

Waterproofing

Safety has been improved in other areas, too. Apple has finally followed the lead of rivals like Samsung and Sony, and has given the iPhone 7 proper waterproofing. The device is IP67-rated, meaning it can survive immersion in up to 1m of water for up to half an hour. This has been one of the most heavily-requested iPhone features, and will hopefully save many an iPhone from an untimely toilet-based demise.

Design, display and casing

The iPhone 7 and its predecessor share many features. It has the same dimensions as the iPhone 6s, apart from the antenna bands being repositioned to the top and bottom edges of the chassis, although this isn't a major difference.

The screen also remains basically the same. Apple's changed the colour calibration used by the iPhone's display but the size and resolution remain the same. It measures 4.7in and 1,334 x 750 respectively. This small change impacts the device greatly as the colours are brighter and more vivid, with Apple claiming it's 25% brighter than the 6s, while it displays deeper blacks.

Black is back as a colour choice too on the iPhone 7, which many fans have been waiting for eagerly. To please them, Apple has gone the extra length and offered the device in both basic black and in a shiny, slightly darker black. Fans can choose the new "Jet Black" option, which is glossy and sleek, or the regular black option, which has a pleasant matte finish.

Our personal choice is the latter, as the Jet Black version appears a little cheap and plasticky even though it's made of the same aluminium as every other model. Fingerprints will appear almost instantly on it too, and it also feels exceedingly slippery, which will worry many users considering how expensive the device is.

If black isn't your thing, you can opt for the classic Silver - which has always looked good on Apple products - a flashy Gold finish, or Rose Gold, which appears to be livid pink in promo shots but in reality is fairly muted.

This is also the first Apple smartphone to include stereo speakers, which produce a surprisingly good amount of volume. The tone is good, offering pleasingly chunky midranges, but the bass can't compete with Android rivals such as the HTC Ten and its BoomSound speakers.

Specs and performance

Apple's handsets have long since gone past the point where they're likely to be overly taxed in day-to-day use, and the iPhone 7 is no different. Speed and responsiveness are noticeably better than in the iPhone 6s though, and the iPhone 7 copes superbly with multi-tasking, regardless of how many high-performance apps you throw at it.

This is down to the iPhone 7's A10 Fusion processor, which is predictably beefy in terms of horsepower. However, while it's great at handling demanding tasks like 3D gaming and video streaming, it's also got an extra two cores to provide increased efficiency when dealing with the numerous smaller jobs that make up everyday use, like checking emails, listening to music and browsing social media.

In theory, this means increased battery life, and the iPhone 7 did indeed perform better than its predecessor, racking up a final score of 13hrs 2mins in our battery benchmarks. However, it falls short of the Samsung Galaxy S7, which has it beat by five and a half hours.

Read on to find out about iOS 10, the camera, and our verdict on the iPhone 7

iOS 11

At launch the iPhone 7 supported iOS 10, which was streaks ahead of Android and laid the foundations for some huge leaps forward in terms of applications. With the release of iOS 11 this year, the iPhone 7 was one of the first devices to receive the update, further building on an excellent software base.

Apple's flagship OS brings a host of new features, including improvements to its Siri AI voice assistant that make communicating with your device a more natural process. Both male and female voices are now more expressive and are able to adjust intonation and pitch, as well as emphasise words.

The iPhone 7 now also supports Apple's ARKit and the various supported augmented reality apps, as well as VR through 3rd party devices such as the Prism.

The update also brings Apple Pay person-to-person payments via the Messages app, new Touch ID functionality that lets you dial emergency services without entering a password, and new security functions that allow Touch ID to be disabled with a command.

Elsewhere, there are a few notable updates to Apple's software, with key highlights being a number of improvements to the Messages app and the ability to capture photos in RAW format, as well as letting users delete preinstalled apps. As was the case with iOS 10, the you can also wake the iPhone 7 when you lift it, rather than having to press the home button.

Camera

It should come as a surprise to no-one that the iPhone 7's camera is absolutely superb. The resolution remains the same as the iPhone 6, with 12MP stills and 4K video capability, but Apple has put some work into tweaking and refining some of the camera's other elements to provide a boost in general quality.

Most notably, the basic iPhone 7 now has optical image stabilisation, a feature previously restricted to Plus models. This works marvelously, and will generally capture clean images with minimal noise, regardless of how much you or the subject are moving.

The f/1.8 aperture now means the sensor has around 50% more light to work with, while the improved ISP means faster processing for things like HDR photos. The front-facing selfie camera has also been improved, jumping from a 5MP sensor to 7MP. Photos have more detail and better contrast, while the flash seems to have been tuned up.

The camera is a marked improvement over the iPhone 6s's already-excellent snapper, and is very unlikely to disappoint. For our money, the Samsung Galaxy S7 still edges out the pair of them, but there's very little in it.

Verdict

The iPhone 7 has very few new tricks up its sleeve in terms of features, visual appearance or hardware. Instead, it's all minor iterations on the same formula Apple has been using for the previous three generations.

In many ways, Apple is a victim of its own success. The iPhone 7 is unquestionably one of the best smartphones around, but on the other hand, so was the iPhone 6s. If you already own the iPhone 7's predecessor, you'll be hard-pressed to find any new additions compelling enough to promt you to upgrade.

It's hard to get particularly excited about the iPhone 7, but not because it's a mediocre device - in fact, it's the exact opposite. Apple has been so reliably knocking iPhone design out of the park that the iPhone 7's brilliance has become dull and predictable, as is evidenced by the fact that the main features on most people's minds are a headphone jack and a button.

This is particularly apparent when contrasted against primary rival Samsung, a company that is continuing to push the envelope, creating fresh and interesting products. The Samsung Galaxy S8's edgeless 'Infinity display' immediately stands out as unlike anything we've ever seen, while the latest iPhone just feels like more of the same.

As the majority of Apple's major innovations were ultimately reserved for the iPhone X, it makes the iPhone 7 seem dull in comparison. The iPhone 7 is still a capable device - it's still incredibly fast for its spec, and there's not much we can really mark it down on - but more than any other iteration, the iPhone 7 feels like it's treading water.

Verdict

Apple's latest iPhone hits all the familiar notes you'd expect it to, and while it's still an amazing device, there's nothing here that we haven't seen before. If you're due for an upgrade, you're unlikely to be disappointed, but don't rush out to buy one.

iOS 10 was announced at WWC in June 2016, with an immediate developer beta release, followed by a public beta release in July. The first completed version was released in September 2016, with several updates having been made since then.

Here we round up all of the latest news about Apple's latest mobile OS and break down its key features.

At-a-glance

• iOS 10 was released on 13 September
• iOS 10.3 available for users to download now
• It has 10 key features revamped, with the user experience front of mind
• Much of the functionality has been opened up to developers

iOS 10 news

10/08/2017: iOS 10 users no longer allowed to upgrade or downgrade to iOS 10.3.2

Following the release of iOS 10.3.3 last month, Apple has stopped 'signing' iOS 10.3.2, meaning if anyone wants to downgrade to the previous iteration of the platform for any reason (for example if their device is playing up after installing the new update), they won't be able to.

It also means users running version 10.3.1 will have to jump straight to 10.3.3 rather than incrementally upgrading their device to iOS 10.3.2.

Although it's a rather rough tactic by Apple to encourage iPhone and iPad users to upgrade to the latest firmware, it's always a good idea to upgrade to the most current version, which will include all the latest bug and security fixes, making it less likely your phone will behave erratically.

Preventing users from running version 10.3.2 will also stop jailbreakers, by fixing the vulnerabilities often found in older versions that are commonly used for jailbreaking. This is why users who like tinkering with their device often hold back from upgrading the firmware. If they do make the jump, they'll then have to wait for the next jailbreak to be released before hacking their device again.

Aside from these reasons, it's also pretty likely Apple has stopped signing iOS 10.3.2 because it's prepping for the release of iOS 11, due to happen in September.

iOS 10 release date

iOS 10 was made available as a developer preview following the Apple WWDC keynote on 13th June, with a public beta launched in July. The final, or Golden Master, was made available from 9 September through Apple's Beta Program. The free upgrade for general users was released on 13 September 2016, following the iPhone 7's reveal on 7 September.

iOS 10 price

Available as a free upgrade, iOS 10 will work on iPhone 5 and later devices, all iPad Air and iPad Pro models, in addition to fourth generation iPad and later models, iPad mini 2 and later and iPod touch sixth generation onwards. More information is available atApple's iOS 10 preview site.

iOS 10 features

Apple spent a great deal of time going through key iOS 10 features during its WWDC keynote, covering a range of use cases and pleasing developers and end users alike.

"iOS 10 is our biggest release ever, with delightful new ways to express yourself in Messages, a native app for home automation and beautifully redesigned apps for Music, Maps, andNews that are more intuitive and more powerful, making everything you love about your iPhone and iPad even better," said Craig Federighi, Apple's senior vice president of SoftwareEngineering.

"iOS 10 adds Siri intelligence into QuickType and Photos, automates your home with the new Home app and opens up Siri, Maps, Phone and Messages to developers - whileincreasing security and privacy with powerful technologies like Differential Privacy."

Messaging

The most frequently used iOS app is messages, according to Apple. So it's no surprise it has gone to town in revamping this element in iOS 10. New elements here include powerful animations, features to better reflect tone and more extensive use of and support for Emojis.

Siri

By openingSiri up to developers in iOS 10, Apple is ensuring that users will benefit from an even better experience. SiriKit means developers can work across a broad range of features, harnessing the intelligence and power Siri offers and making apps even better for the people who use them the most.

Maps reimagined

Maps have been given more than a lick of paint in iOS 10. They are also much easier and more intuitive to use. OpenTable and Uber, to pick just two examples, become much more advanced apps with iOS 10 as users can book services directly from withing Maps rather than having to exit and return. Maps will then learn from that experience to proactively deliver guidance based on where you might want or need to go next.

Photos app

AI will again be utilised heavily here to ensure the memories that matter most to users are at their fingertips. Memories will scan all the pics and videos you've taken and present them in a way that makes you think back to that time fondly. It can do this thanks to advanced computer vision, which connects the dots between people, places and things inside your device's albums.

Smarter home with HomeKit

Users can more effectively control their home environments with advanced controls that add smart elements at the touch of a button or voice command. Almost 100 home automation products have already adopted HomeKit in 2016, proving the appeal of this kind of technological innovation.

Apple Music and News

Music and News have also been given a makeover in iOS 10. Both are designed to offer the user more but without the need to get to grips with something new. In particular, Apple Music's Browse, For You and Library features are designed to connect users with the tunes that matter most and will most impact them.

Other features

There is also a range of other tweaks to excite users. These include:

• Ability to set a regular sleep schedule with the Bedtime Alarm
• Apple Pay support for purchases on select websites, which can be authenticated via Apple Watch or iPhone
• Integration for third-party VoIP calls, voicemail transcription and caller ID extension to avoid spam
• Safari split-view for iPad, Notes collaboration and Live Photos editing
• QuickType features such as contextual predictions that harness power of Siri's intelligence

Previous news

12/04/2017:Apple fixes iOS 10 beta problems, but could kill support

Apple has begun rolling out the second beta of iOS 10.3.2, the operating system's forthcoming update, after spending two weeks in its first beta period.

The adjustments made by the tech giant include bug fixes to both third-party virtual private network (VPN) apps and SiriKit car commands. Both should be working properly in the second beta. iOS devices will also send Apple diagnostic and usage data automatically, although users will have the option to opt out of this feature.

There might not be much else at the moment, as the build only comes out to129MB. It's expected, however, that the new beta will feature security enhancements.

While Apple has fixed the initial iOS beta problems, it could potentially present an even bigger issue for certain iPhone users.

According to Forbes, iOS 10.3.2 could potentially be cutting support for iPhone 5 and 5C models. The idea is based off the fact that these phones were both built on 32-bit architecture, where iOS 10.3.2 has only supported 64-bit iOS devices thus far. Previous update betas from Apple haven't skipped support for 32-bit devices.

Participators in Apple's Beta Software program can currently trial the update for free afterinstalling the proper certificate on their iOS devices.

Those not affiliated with the Beta Software program will just have to wait until the update is released in the coming weeks.

28/03/2017:Apple has released the latest update to its mobile operating system, iOS 10.3. Built on iOS 10, it's not a radical overhaul (we'll have to wait until at leastWWDC in Junefor that), but does contain some notable new features.

First up is an addition to Find My iPhone Find my AirPods. Using the built-in app, owners of Apple's tiny, wireless earphones can view their current or last known location and play a sound on one or both of them to help locate the dinky devices.

Siri has a number of new features too, including support for paying and checking the status of bills with payment apps, ride app support for help with scheduling, and cricket scores for Indian Premier League and International Cricket Council games.

There's also Siri support for apps from car manufacturers to find out whether the car is locked or not, turning on the lights and checking the vehicle's fuel level.

Speaking of cars, there are also a number of updates to CarPlay in iOS 10.3. These include shortcuts in the status bar to the most recently used apps for easy access, as well as two changes to Apple Music: the Now Playing screen gives access to both Up Next and the currently playing song's album, while a daily curated playlist and new music categories are also available.

There are also a number of smaller tweaks to the Home and Calendar apps, as well as Podcasts.

As is normal with an operating system update, iOS 10.3 also introduces a number of security patches, the details of which can be foundhere.

17/02/2017:The iPhone's next operating system, iOS 11, may lead to a cull of tens of thousands of older apps, according to reports.

With WWDC 2017 taking place in early June, we could be just a few months away from a brand new operating system for Apple's flagship device.

Its release could create havoc for app developers, and users of older apps, however, if Apple drops support for 32-bit apps, as speculated by9to5mac.

The website found that the beta for iOS 10.3 warned users opening 32-bit apps that "This app will not work with future versions of iOS". It said the app's developers must upgrade it to make it more compatible.

Apple switched from 32-bit apps to 64-bit apps with the release of the 5s in 2013, andMashablereports that "the data we have suggests tens of thousands of apps could be affected" if older apps are blocked.

It also refers to an autumn 2016 report from app analytics firm Sensor Tower that found 28% of App Store apps hadn't been updated in the previous two years.

25/01/2017:Apple has released an update for iOS 10 that will prevent hackers from accessing devices.

iOS 10.2.1 will prevent criminals from unlocking a device remotely or accessing the kernel, which could allow them to "execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges," for iPhone 5 and later, iPad 4th generation and later and iPod touch 6th generation and later.

It will also fix flaws in WebKit, Wi-Fi and Contacts to stop anyone using security holes to access the device remotely.

"[The flaw] can add files, delete files, or execute any actions," Malwarebytes senior security researcher JP Taggart toldWired. "Want to record conversations and forward them to someone else? It can do that. Want to install additional malicious software? It can do that. Want to uninstall programs on the affected phone? It can do that. Want to hide these actions, programs and files from the user? It can do that too."

Reassuringly for Apple fans, the security flaw doesn't appear to have actually been used by any malicious actors, so those who haven't applied the update yet are probably not at risk. However, as its existance is now out in the open, they should update as soon as possible.

The same flaw could be used via other Apple apps including iTunes, Safari, macOS Sierra, plus the operating system used for Apple TV and Apple Watch, which have all now been updated as well, meaning it was probably quite a widespread problem.

09/01/2017:Three quarters of iPhones and iPads now run on iOS 10, according to Apple's latest official figures - a significant jump on November's figures, which showed it running on 63% of iPhones and iPads.

They also showed that 18% of devices are still running iOS 9 with the remaining 6% stuck on older versions of the operating system.

The reason behind this increase is thought to be due to the Christmas season, with people buying others a shiny new iPhone or iPad replacement, as well as existing customers having time between Christmas and New Year to sit down and upgrade their device.

Although the metrics seem to be encouraging for Apple, they're only 1% higher than iOS 9 was at this point last year, showing people aren't necessarily jumping at the chance of getting their hands on iOS 10.

Independent company Mixpanel showed iOS 10 adoption running at just over 50% back in October, although more recent figures are yet to be released.

13/12/2016:Apple has released the latest version of iPhone software; iOS 10.2, packed with new features and some welcome bug fixes.

The update brings a host of new additions to the platform, including an expanded emoji set and the Apple TV app. iOS 10.2 is a free download available to iPhone 5 or later models, iPad 4th generation or later, and iPod touch 6th generation or later.

The update can be downloaded by connecting your device to iTunes or manually updating through the 'Software Update' menu in 'Settings'. The download should begin and restart your phone automatically.

Emojis:

Over 100 new emojis have been added with iOS 10.2, according to Apple, including a facepalm, a selfie symbol, and male and female variants of professions like firefighters and judges. The new symbols can't be sent to users on Android, although they do work on web versions of Facebook and Twitter.

Apple TV:

The new Apple TV app, currently only available in the US, provides a home for all your live and on-demand TV content, bringing together a number of apps such as Netflix, into one viewing platform. The app shows recommendations for new TV shows and movies, and highlights upcoming releases available in the 'Store'.

Camera improvements:

Additions to camera software have also been made, including improved stablisation and a fix to an iPhone 7 plus bug that would cause the zoom function to stop working. Some changes have been made to the way albums are curated, providing greater accuracy of grouped photos in 'People' and 'Memories' folders.

New message effects:

Two new full screen message effects have been added to iMessage, adding to those already included in iOS 10 such as 'send with balloons'. The new effects are 'Send with Love', which creates a big heart on screen, and 'Celebrate', which causes an explosion of sparks.

New wallpapers:

Three new wallpapers have been added for iPhone 7 and 7 Plus customers, known as Droplet Blue, Droplet Red and Droplet Yellow.

There are also a host of other smaller improvements such as better Bluetooth performance across third party devices, easier to use controls in the Music app, and a range of bug fixes.

Users have reported a range of battery issues on 10.1.1, including inaccurate remaining percentages and phones suddenly dropping from 30% to 0%. IT Pro has reached out to Apple to clarify whether the new update fixes these issues, and we will update you when we hear more.

Picture courtesy of Apple

30/11/2016:iOS 10.1.1 is causing massive battery drain issues

Users of the recently released iOS 10.1.1 are reporting severe battery problems as a result of the update, in some cases displaying incorrect charge percentages or devices shutting down at random.

Applesupport forumsare awash with angry customers, who claim that iPhones running the latest iOS 10 update are suddenly dropping from 30% charge to 1% in an instant. Users are able to turn the device back on, which then functions as normal for a few hours.

"Shutting the phone down at night with a good 80% charge, it won't reboot in the morning due to no battery charge," said one forum user. "I plug it in and its back to 30% in a few seconds."

Other users have reported batteries suddenly giving out despite the device showing a 50% remaining charge. Most users are citing a recent update to iOS 10.1.1 as the culprit.

"Last year I bought an iPhone 6S, currently updated with iOS 10.1.1," said another user. "The battery fails between 20 and 40% of capability. Apple support answers that I have to wait for the next iOS version."

The issue appears to be affecting a range of iPhone models, from the iPhone 4 through to the newest iPhone 7 Plus.

Although a beta version for iOS 10.2 is now available, it seems updating to this has not resolved the issue for some users. Apple has yet to offer an explanation or a solution to the battery problem, and there is no guarantee that rolling back to iOS 10 will fix the issue.

IT Pro has reached out to Apple for comment but has yet to receive a reply.

This latest fault comes just a week after Apple offered replacement batteries to customers after reports that iPhone 6S devices were shutting down at random.

01/11/2016:Apple releases first iOS 10.2 beta to developers

Apple is now releasing the beta for iOS 10.2 to developers, just a month after the launch of iOS 10.

The update should include bug fixes, new tools and general improvements as well as new emojis, wallpapers, camera settings, video widgets and an emergency contacts feature.

The new camera settingincludes a Preserve Settings option, through which users will be able to maintain their last camera mode or photo filter, and decide whether to keep Live Photos on or off.

The new beta also allows Apple Music users sort their playlists by type, title or recently added.

The previous update, 10.1, also introduced several new features, such as a new Portrait photography mode for the iPhone 8's dual-camera system.

Registered developers can download the new beta for iOS 10.2 from the Apple Developer Center.

28/10/2016:Apple tried to embarrass Google at its 'Hello Again' event yesterday, by comparing the percentage of iOS users and Android users on the latest versions of the respective operating systems.

Apple's pie charts (included below) suggested that 60% of iPhone and iPad owners are on iOS 10, while less than 1% of Android users are on Nougat (Android 7).

Moreover, it reported that 32% of iOS users are running iOS 9 on their phone, while only 8% are using earlier iOS versions.

This was compared to 19% of Android users using Android 6, and 80% running even older versions of the operating system.

Apple meant to highlight how iOS updates are perceived as more reliable by Apple device users, while users with a phone that runs on Android are less eager to update their software.

Statistics from Netmarketshare comparing the total market share of different versions of Android, as well as other mobile OSes' shares, seem to report similar numbers.

The stats show Android 7, included in the pie chart in the 'Other' segment, runs on a small minority of users' smartphones, representing 0.12% of the total share market.

However, not all smartphone makers have brought Android 7 to their devices yet, meaning many users don't have access to it.

20/10/2016:Today, Apple released the fifth iOS 10.1 beta to developers and beta testers. This is the second beta released in one week.

In future, 10.1 for iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus should include a feature called Portrait camera, which applies a DSLR-like special effect over photos. This tool should only work on iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, as it requires the dual camera system.

This feature was introduced at Apple's keynote this month, but has only been released for developer betas and has not yet been made available to the public.

Apple's iOS 10.1 beta 5 weighs 1.95GB and is one of the largest iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 plus betas released so far. Similarly to the few previous 10.1 betas, the fifth beta does not appear to contain any fixes. However, it should include some considerable changes.

Along with the fifth iOS 10.1 beta, Apple also released the fifth macOS Sierra 12.1 beta.

20/09/2016:Since iOS 10 was launched, enterprise networked traffic has increased significantly, demonstrating the operating system has proven a popular choice for business users.

Exponential-e's analysis revealed the Apple originating traffic running over corporate networks was five times its usual levels on Wednesday 14th September, the day after the update was revealed.

The company suggested business users were rushing to install and try out the platform's new features. In total, enterprise network traffic increased by 30 per cent, which put extra demand on cloud services and data centres.

This trend continued the days after iOS 10 was released, with three times the normal Apple traffic on September 15th and double traffic coming from Apple devices on September 16th.

"As Apple seeks to defend its dominance in the smartphone market, it continues to set the rhythm of the industry,"Andrew Chant, head of networks at Exponential-esaid. "With the rise of mobile employees that are connecting their own devices to the workplace WiFi, organisations and carriers need to be prepared and expect to see a significant increase in network activity when Apple releases the latest iOS update."

Despite some people installing iOS 10 reporting the update destroyed their iPhones, this doesn't seem to have deterred business users. However, this extra traffic put pressure on many companies' networks and demonstrates the need for robust infrastructure to support spikes.

"While it's inevitable that accessing and downloading services on the same underlying infrastructure will spark an increase in data traffic, organisations need to be prepared with a scalable foundation that provides low latency and low-jitter connectivity to avoid any significant impact."

14/09/2016:It's the curse of early adopters: many people who updated to iOS 10 yesterday over Wi-Fi were hit with a series of confusing warning messages, though Apple has already addressed them.

Users reported that after they updated, their iPhone told them to connect it to a PC to update with iTunes, which simply brought another error message saying "There is a problem with the iPhone... that requires it to be updated or restored." To avoid the issue, make sure you have the latest version of iTunes installed.

If you are hit by the problem, you'll see a message on your iPhone telling you to plug it in to a PC so it can connect to iTunes. Your phone will then ask you to update or restore; clicking update will run the iOS 10 installation again.

Apple has already addressed the issue. "We experienced a brief issue with the software update process, affecting a small number of users during the first hour of availability," Apple said in a statement. "The problem was quickly resolved and we apologise to those customers. Anyone who was affected should connect to iTunes to complete the update or contact AppleCare for help."

13/09/2016:iOS 10 will finally be released to iPhone and iPad users at 6pm GMT this evening, just ahead of the iPhone 7's official retail launch this Friday.

As usual, device owners will be able to download the new operating system as a free software update from the iOS settings menu.

Fans are warned that they may face a long wait, however, as day-one demand for Apple's latest OS has historically outstripped the company's server capacity. Waiting until Thursday or Friday may lead to shorter overall download times.

09/09/2016:Beta users of iOS 10 can now get their hands on the final version of the operating system.

Apple has released the golden master (GM) to users on its Beta program, less than a week before the official release ends up in the hands of consumers.

The GM build should be the same software that will download to user's Mac, barring any last minute critical flaws. That version will be available from 13 September.

To get your hands on this version you need to sign up to Apple's beta testing program to receive the OS as an over-the-air update.

07/09/2016 UPDATE:iOS 10 will be available to download from 13 September, Apple has announced. The new OS will also come pre-loaded on the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, which are available themselves for pre-order on 9 September and hit shelves one week later on 16 September.

07/09/2016:Today could finally be the day the world gets to experience a full, finished version of iOS 10. The operating system is expected to launch alongside the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, both of which should make their debut at Apple's Special Event in San Francisco, which starts at 6.00pm UK time.

At this point, the features of the new operating system are largely established -you can read more about the 10 most important updates here- but this will be the first time people get to experience the new OS on their own devices as a stable release.

To find out iOS 10's general release date, as well as all the news about the iPhone 7, Apple Watch 2 and macOS Sierra,follow our Apple Event Live Blog from 5.30pmBST.

06/09/2016:Despite the final version not yet being released, iOS 10 has already been jailbroken.

Luca Todesco, also known as qwertyoruiop, has uploaded avideoshowing a jailbreak of iOS 10 Beta 8. The jailbreak is known as yaluX and it works on iOS devices with an A7 and higher processor.

According to a report byiClarified, this is not the first jailbreak of iOS 10, as Pangu Team and iH8Sn0w have also demoed their jailbreaks too.

It is not known if the jailbreak is publicly available but the publication speculated that this would be released shortly after the operating system becomes available.

29/08/2016:Apple has confirmed its2016 Special Eventwill take place on 7 September. The event is expected to herald the launch of theiPhone 7,Apple Watch 2and a number of other devices. It could also be when the final release date of iOS 10 is announced.

The new mobile operating system is normally released at the same time as Apple's new flagship iPhone. For 2016 and iOS 10, this could mean either 7 September at the Apple keynote or 16 September when, according to reliable leaker Evan Blass, the iPhone 7 will go on sale - typically, the new versions iOS have become available at the same time as a new flagship iPhone is released.

IT Prowill be covering the Apple Special Event live on 7 September.

22/08/2016:The rapid release cycle for iOS 10 betas continues, with Developer Beta 7 and Public Beta 6 dropping over the weekend.

The betas feature "bug fixes and improvements", according to the release notes, but no major new features. This is not entirely surprising given the OS is set for release this autumn.

Indeed, if rumours are to be believed, the final version could be with us within two-to-three weeks, whenthe iPhone 7launches. Traditionally, Apple has launched the new mobile OS to the general public alongside its new flagship phone, which comes pre-loaded with the software.

It is generally expectedthis year's Special Eventwill take place in the second week of September, potentially Tuesday 13. The iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus areanticipated to launch, alongside the Apple Watch 2 and a number of other devices.

iOS will work with iPhones and iPads, although the extent ofbackward compatibility is uncertain. With theiPhone 5shaving been superceded bythe iPhone SEthis spring, it's possible the stalwart 4in smartphone won't receive this latest update. Similarly, older iPad Minis and iPad Airs may also miss out.

10/08/2016:Just days after the release of the fourth Developer Beta, Apple has seeded Developer Beta 5 and Public Beta 4 within hours of each other. As with previous rounds, Beta 5 is a set of updates, rather than a single release for iOS 10 and applies tomacOS Sierra,watchOS 3andtvOS 10as well.

For iOS Developer Beta 5, Apple has introduced a number of new features for iPad and iPhone, the most notable of which are a significant overhaul of the Music app, with Control Center, Notification Center and Lock Screen all receiving a refresh as well.

According to9to5Mac, these changes include a new input icon in Apple Music and the rest of the iOS 10 interface, darker backgrounds for third-party widgets in the Notification Center (Apple's own widgets still have a translucent white background), and the locking sound for the device sounds "kind of like a door closing".

The release of iOS Developer Beta 5 is somewhat ahead of schedule, arriving just one week after the release of Developer Beta 4, whereas Apple normally leaves two weeks between releases. Public Beta 4 is even further ahead of schedule, in relative terms, arriving just a few hours after Developer Beta 5, rather than a full day.

iOS 10 is expected to launch in its final form in September, alongside theiPhone 7.

08/08/2016:With anticipation for theiPhone 7reaching fever pitch ahead of its September release date, plenty of people will be queuing to buy Apple's new flagship device as soon as it hits the shops.

But what about those of us who are stuck on older versions of the iPhone, or indeed the iPad? Will we still be able to take advantage of some of the smartphone's new features?

The answer is yes if you've got a device that will support iOS 10, the latest operating system that will run on the iPhone 7.

While plenty of the iPhone 7's expected benefits come from the hardware itself (such as the wireless headphones and improved battery life), many others come from iOS 10.

The OS includes 100 new emojis (currently available in its developer preview) and a much smarter Siri, as well as the ability to use a stylus or even your finger to handwrite messages to your friends.

There's just one catch -- you must have a compatible device. With operating systems becoming far chunkier and advanced, your phone must have the memory to run the OS and the hardware to support it.

The good news is, most iPhones and iPads do support iOS 10. Every iPhone from the iPhone 5 and upwards can run it, while iPad mini 2, 3 and 4 support it, as do the iPad Air and the iPad Air 2, as well as both iPad Pro models. Even the iPod touch 6thgeneration can run it.

Those with devices older than that, sadly you're going to have to upgrade in order to run iOS 10.

Apple'siPhonesand iPads running the iOS 10 operating system are exposed to a security flaw that allows credentials to be stolen from backups, according to a security firm.

Russian iPhone hacking firm Elcomsoft claimed to uncover the iOS 10 vulnerability, after the OS was released on 13 September, stating that it weakened backup security protection, thus making it simple for hackers to crack passwords used for backups of iOS devices stored on Macs and PCs.

Elcomsoft researcher Oleg Afonin, who helped find the flaw,said in a blog post that while iPhones and iPads are very secure, and any acquisition method gets increasingly difficult with every generation of the iOS operating system, there's still a way for hackers to get into users' backup data.

"Forcing an iPhone or iPad to produce an offline backup and analysing resulting data is one of the very few acquisition options available for devices running iOS 10," Afonin explained. "Local backups are easy to produce if the iPhone is unlocked. However, you may be able to produce a local backup even if the phone is locked by using a pairing record extracted from a trusted computer."

He added: "If you are able to break the password, you'll be able to decrypt the entire content of the backup including the keychain. At this time, logical acquisition remains the only acquisition option available for iPhone 5s, 6/6 Plus, 6s/6s Plus and 7/7 Plus running iOS 10 that offers access to device keychain."

According to Afonin, the flaws also mean cracking efforts against iOS 10 backups are 2,500 times faster compared to similar efforts against iOS 9, and if a cyber crook is successful, the attack will grant access to device keychains.

Apple said it is currently looking to release a patch to fix to the problem, and will address the flaws in an upcoming security update, adding that it did not affect iCloud backups.

"We're aware of an issue that affects the encryption strength for backups of devices on iOS 10 when backing up to iTunes on the Mac or PC," said Apple in a statement. "We recommend users ensure their Mac or PC are protected with strong passwords and can only be accessed by authorised users. Additional security is also available with FileVault whole disk encryption."

Apple's WWDC developer conference saw the company unveil iOS 10, the latest version of its mobile and tablet operating system. The new software includes a host of new features, including substantial updates to areas like Siri, VoIP tools and iMessage.

There's lots to look forward to no matter how you use your iPhone, whether you're an urban explorer or a serial texter. Here's how iOS 10's new features stack up against iOS 9.3.

Siri

Siri, Apple's digital assistant, was first launched as part of the iPhone 4s back in 2011, but since then it's had limited improvements compared to the rest of Apple's software.

This is set to change, however, with the news that Apple is opening up Siri's SDK to developers, allowing them to build voice command integrations into their apps. This will up Siri's usefulness dramatically, as major companies like Uber and Dominos enable voice command functionality.

Phone

One of the great things about tools like Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp is that they can basically replace your traditional cellular service, allowing users to send calls over the internet.

With iOS 10, VoIP tools will genuinely feel like the equal of traditional phone calls. The iPhone app's API has been opened to developers, meaning when your iPhone receives a WhatsApp call, for example, it will react in the same way as it does when it receives a standard call.

For those that still actually use voicemail, iOS 10 will also perform automatic voicemail transcription, giving you a text record of your messages without actually forcing you to listen to them.

iMessage

Apple is gunning for IM services like Snapchat, WhatsApp and Facebook Chat with the newest version of iMessage, and it's likely to be this that most consumers get excited about.

There are a number of new features for iMessage in iOS 10, such as 'bubble effects', which lets users add different effects to their messages for emphasis, such as softly fading in.

You can also use 'invisible ink', which obscures messages until you slide your finger over them, meaning you can surprise people with messages.

Emoji - the new language of communication in 2016 - have been overhauled too. Emoji are 30 per cent bigger in iOS 10, and predictive text will suggest emoji as you type. iOS 10 will even go back through your messages to suggest which words you can 'emojify'.

The iMessage SDK has been opened up, so developers can now integrate their tools into the app. Apple showed off the function with Square Cash, which now allows users to send money with a text.

Music and News

Apple's Music and News apps have both been redesigned, with a new coat of paint and a slight reshuffle in terms of layout. In terms of functionality, however, nothing much has been added, aside from the addition of subscriptions to News and a lyrics pane to Music.

Photos

The camera has to be one of the most commonly used features of the iPhone, so it's about time that Apple invested some energy into improving the Photos app. Thankfully, it has, and the camera looks much better for it.

Much like Google Photos, the app now employs AI and machine learning tools to intelligently identify the subjects of your photos, including separate locations, items and people. It then groups them, allowing you to look through, for example, all your photos of specific friends.

There's also a new 'memories' tab, which collects all of the photos and videos from a given event - a festival in Ibiza, for example, or a kayaking trip in the Dordogne. It can even string them together with music and text overlays to create a charming little video.

There's good news for the professionals, too: iOS 10 will now support RAW image capturing. This feature - which captures a full image with no compression or alteration - is used in professional photography, and has featured on numerous Android handsets.

Maps

Apple's Maps app has often been seen as the poor relation to Google's offering, but the latest version could turn the tables. Apple is promising to be more proactive and hands-on with its latest version, offering a variety of suggestions to users.

These suggestions include route alterations, restaurant recommendations and more, and will vary based on your location and time of day. There are also optimised integrations for Apple's CarPlay software, too.

Like many of its other apps, the Maps SDK is now freely available, so expect to see heaps of plugins and integrations with major third-party services like Uber or OpenTable.

Compatibility

It's bad news for the iPhone 4S, as iOS support for the device officially ends as of iOS 10. If you want the new version, then it's time to upgrade. Second and third-generation iPads are also out of luck, as is the fifth-gen iPod Touch.

However, updating something as old as the iPhone 4S wouldn't be a good idea, even if it was supported. The 4S already saw a marked performance drop when updating to iOS 9, so updating to the latest iOS version would likely render it unusable.

Anything from the iPad 4 and iPhone 5 upwards will be compatible with iOS 10, but as always, devices on the lower end of that curve may want to skip the upgrade, as the age of the hardware can often mean significant speed decreases.