Apple's iOS 10 Beta Preview

So Apple has released a public beta of iOS 10. Which means, if you are interested in giving its upcoming new OS update a spin, you can do so. But be warned, it's a beta, a polished user experience it is not, replete with odd software bugs and crashes unexpectedly popping up here and there, and new features likely to be subjected to change and refined before it's all officially released for iPhone and iPad (remember, the iDevice names are both singular and plural?) come September.

Home screen, the new Today View cum Spotlight, and the lock screen

That having said, iOS 10 is sort of a solid revamp that brings third-party app support to Siri (but restricted to audio or video calling, messaging, payments, photos, workouts and ride booking apps), Apple Maps and Messages (treating them as separate platforms in themselves), Apple Pay to the web via Safari, a new look for Apple Music, Apple News, Control Center and Notification Center, more useful widgets and 3D Touch options, and of course capabilities to remove default apps.

Revamped Maps, Music and News apps

One could argue that many of these features have been available on Google's Android since God knows when, still it's finally good to see them materialise on iOS. Truth be told, Apple, being Apple, is perhaps the only company right now that can afford the luxury of arriving this fashionably late because of its iron-grip over the entire ecosystem, both in terms of hardware and software. But better late than never, I say!

New 3D Touch options, and an updated Look Up

Other miscellaneous features introduced in iOS 10 that deserve a particular mention -

• Inline video playback support in Safari
• Raise to wake to bring the screen to life when you pick up your phone
• Define, a system-wide option triggered by selecting a word or more, replaced by Look Up, with contextual results ranging from word meanings to movies, music, websites and other suggested relevant web hits
• Play music in background when playing GIFs and snapping photos
• Collaborative notes
• Redesigned clock app with dark mode and an added Bedtime option for sleep tracking
• Much improved back button experience to shuttle between apps
• Ads in App Store search results page