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By Jack Beresford
Senior Reporter
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Apple's much-anticipated software updates for the iPhone and Apple Watch have arrived with them a raft of new features for users.
First announced in June, the changes include a revamped lock screen, improved image editing function and the ability to edit and unsend messages.
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The update was released Monday and has drawn a very vocal response from the Apple community on social media, with "i06" trending on Twitter for several hours after the release.
A 2019 national survey of more than 1,600 Americans between the ages of eight and 18 by non-profit Common Sense Media found that just under three-fourths (72 percent) own a smartphone, up from 50 percent from a similar poll in 2015.
The good news, for Apple and iPhone/Smartwatch users, is that responses have been largely positive, except for a few minor gripes about some of the cosmetic changes brought about by the updates.
One of the biggest talking points was the revamped lock screen, which allows for greater personalization. Users appear especially enamored with the ability to alter the typeface and color of the time display as well as the wallpaper and how information is displayed in lock-screen mode.
The "depth effect" of images on the lock screen as well as some of the other wallpaper effects available even led to a wave of users sharing their new-look backgrounds with each other.
Users also appeared especially taken with the way the update positioned whatever music they were playing, above the notifications filing, and how the update now provided users with a full-screen music player option.
"iOS 16 lockscreen looks so fresh with Spotify," one user wrote, with another tweeted that they were "obsessed" with how the lock screen looked while music played.
For others, it was the simple touches that appeared to make the biggest difference, such as the fact that the iPhone battery percentage is now visible. One iPhone user Chomper went as far as to call it the "best iOS 16 feature."
The new display was not without its detractors, though, with some criticizing the fact that notifications appeared at the bottom of the screen.
"Whoever was in charge of changing the notifications in iOS to show at the bottom, I want you to know that you are stupid," one user tweeted.
Away from the cosmetic features, the introduction of passkeys, digital keys that require face or finger-print authentication, was applauded as part of a series of enhanced security functions.
"The fact that hidden folder and recently deleted folder now requires the face unlock before accessing is another beautiful feature," one fan wrote.
Crucially, the update appears to have delivered on the promise of enhanced functionality in two very exciting ways.
Firstly, the ability to to copy objects from the foreground of images and paste them into messages, documents and other apps appears to have been a major initial success with one user describing the function as simply "awesome."
The ability to edit and unsend messages within a 15-minute timeframe also caused excitement, with one Twitter user writing, "This is what we all wanted."
Despite the largely positive response, some older iPhone users voiced concern that the new update was difficult to run on their handsets.
Some users also felt that much of what was being unveiled on iPhone had been available on Androids "for years" and they were hoping for "something different" from the update.
The update comes ahead of the arrival of the new iPhone 14, with experts predicting this latest model will feature a new chipset, 5G support and a new form of 3D touch technology.
The iPhone 14 is due to launch Friday.
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