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Apple iOS 9: what’s new in the latest iPhone and iPad software update

Apple’s new iPhone and iPad operating system - iOS 9 - is coming in the autumn and the public beta finally went live at the weekend.

This means that iPhone and iPad users can download the pre-launch version of the software straight away - check out our guide on how to get Apple’s iOS 9 on your phone today. However’s its worth noting that as the software is still a work in progress it’s full or bugs and may cause phones and tablet to crash.

Announced at Apple’s annual WWDC developer conference back in June, iOS 9 was unveiled alongside the new Apple Music app, Beats 1 radio station and its new Apple Pay contactless payment system.

iOS 9 brings with it a set of updated features for iPhone and iPad - here’s what to expect…

New keyboard
The is the tweaked keyboard is a seemingly minor update, but one which will probably be the most instantly noticeable.

Already proving popular among iOS 9 beta users, the new on-screen keyboard has been updated so that when the shift key is pressed, all the letters show up as upper case and when it’s off, they all show as lower case.

Until now, it was only possible to tell if the shift key was pressed as it turned a very slightly different shade of grey, making typing a mixture of upper and lower case letters very awkward.

Apple News
The new News app will appear on the Home screen and will collect news stories from various publishers based on topics that the user is most interested in.

Stories will be attractively laid out, with Apple attempting to bring the rich design of print to the screen, while also including an interactive element that’s tailored to the iPhone and iPad screen.

The more users read, the more the app learns what they want to see.

Apple Notes
The Notes app is useful for jotting down important information and Apple is making it even more useful with new features such as the ability to create to-do lists with tickable items.

Notes has also been added to the Share button in various other apps so that users can save attachments - including maps, images and URLs - to a new or existing note.

It will also be possible to take photos and add sketches from within the new app and notes will sync across devices, thanks to iCloud.

Apple Maps
So far, Apple Maps has trailed behind the competition from Google and Nokia, but iOS 9 brings two big updates.

A new Transit view shows local public transports lines and stations right on the map, making it much easier for users to plan out their route.

The Nearby feature shows users what’s around them and is split into handy categories including Food, Drinks and Shopping. Each section is then separated down even further - Food is split into to categories such as Groceries, Cafes and Fast Food - to make it easy to narrow down where to go.

Apple Wallet
A revamped version of the old Passbook app, Wallet enables users to add their bank cards and compatible loyalty cards to avoid carrying so many physical cards around.

With Apple Pay launching in the UK this week, iPhone and Apple Watch users will be able to pay for goods simply by swiping their device on the in-store readers.

Multitasking for iPad
The iOS 9 update will enable iPad users to open up a second app on screen without leaving the one they’re already in, like having two windows open on a PC or Mac.

Some Android-powered tablets have had this ability for some time, but this is the first time that genuine multitasking has been available on the iPad.

A new ‘picture-in-picture’ feature enables users to have a video or FaceTime window open in the corner while using another app.