APPLE'S iOS 12 is finally here and looks set to ramp up your mobile phone's tech.

Apple boss Tim Cook originally announced the new iPhone software earlier this year, at the company's annual WWDC event, revealing all the new iPhone features coming TODAY.

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What is iOS 12? New iPhone update explained

You'll be able to download iOS 12 from September 17 – likely at around 6pm UK time, based on previous update schedules.

But the software is already public knowledge, thanks to an announcement made during an Apple developer conference earlier this summer.

There were a few big themes, including improving your digital health (by getting you to use your iPhone less) and boosting performance on older iPhones.

Apple also showed off some amazing new augmented reality features, which we'll describe in detail below.

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iOS 12 release date – when can you download it?

Apple sent the public beta for iOS 12 live on June 25.

For the general public, Apple confirmed it would be released on September 17.

Anyone with an iPhone 5S / iPhone SE or later will be able to download iOS 12 today.

It's available as a free update.

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iOS 12 features – all the news and rumours about Apple's next major iPhone update

So what can we expect from iOS 12? Here are the new features in full:

Performance boost – Apple has made some significant performance improvements with iOS 12.

On certain older iPhones, the camera will launch up to 70% faster, the keyboard will appear 50% faster and typing will be more responsive. Some apps will also launch twice as fast.

Shared AR experiences – A new update to Apple's AR (augmented reality) tech means developers will be able to make cooler AR apps and games.

AR is when your phone camera places virtual objects in the real-world view – just like Snapchat filters or the popular Pokémon Go game.

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With the new version of Apple's ARKit 2.0 (which lets developers make AR apps), there's now multiplayer support for AR games.

That means two players could see the same virtual objects in the same place – but on different phones.

So two Pokémon Go players could potentially look at the same Pokémon in one spot, as if it was really there.

The new ARKit 2.0 also supports persistent objects i.e. virtual objects that stay in the same place.

For instance, if you hung a virtual painting on the wall and then closed your app, it would still be there in the same spot the next time you opened the app – like magic!

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Memoji and camera effects – There are now Memoji, which are Animoji-style animated characters that look like you.

Just like Snapchat's Bitmoji, you design your own custom avatar and can then send messages or make video calls using your Memoji.

Siri Shortcuts – Siri will soon let you use voice commands to get things done in third-party, non-Apple apps. That means ordering coffees or starting workouts just by asking Siri.

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Photos – The Photos app now includes a new For You tab that surfaces favourite moments in one place, combining your Memories and iCloud Shared Albums. You'll also get sharing suggestions that make it easier to share photos with friends.

Using your phone less – Apple unveiled three features to get you to use your phone less. The first is improved Do Not Disturb, which now lets you shut off notifications all night (and into the morning) until you decide you want to see them. There's also Grouped Notifications, which will pull similar lock-screen pop-ups together, and let you swipe them away in big groups. And finally there's Screen Time, which lets you track the amount of time you spend on your iPhone, and set usage limits on specific apps.

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Privacy and security – Safari now has a new Intelligent Tracking Prevention feature that blocks social media 'Like' or 'Share' buttons and comment widgets from tracking users without their permission. Safari will also prevent you from being tracked based on your system configuration, and flag if you're re-using passwords to keep your accounts safe.

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What else? Here are some other minor updates:

• iBooks is now called Apple Books, and has a redesigned interface
• Apple News also has a simpler redesigned interface that makes it easier to discover new channels and topics, or get straight to your favourites
• The Stocks app is now on iPad, and includes a split-screen News section
• CarPlay now supports third-party navigation apps, so you don't have to use Apple Maps to get around any more
• Voice Memos now works on the iPad and supports iCloud syncing for your recordings
• Siri Translation has expanded to more than 40 language pairs, and now has better knowledge of sports, celebrities, food and nutrition
• Wallet on iPhone and Apple Watch now supports student ID cards

Are you excited for the next big iPhone update? Let us know in the comments!

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