iOS 9 is Now Available for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch

As promised, iOS 9 is finally here. Well, "finally" certainly won't apply to many of you out there, as a huge portion of enthusiastic iPhone and iPad users have likely already been using iOS 9 for months. However, if you didn't get an early peek during the public beta of iOS 9, it is time to download iOS 9 now, for the new OS is better, faster, more efficient and more capable than its predecessors.

iOS 9 Highlights

• A (long awaited) Low Power Mode – adds up to three additional hours of usage.

• Improved Battery Life – up to one additional hour of usage from a full charge.
• Frees up Space- iOS uses just 1.4GB of space (installed), a 300% reduction on iOS 8.4.1.
• Addition of Proactive – Apple’s answer to Google Now predicts information ahead of you asking for it.

• Split Screen and Picture-In-Picture Multitasking (latest iPads Only) - true side-by-side app support and picture-in-picture video support.
• Super Siri - more support for natural language searches and integration with third party apps.
• Upgraded Apple Maps – detailed public transport has finally been added.
• Addition of News – Apple’s Flipboard rival with a beautiful reader interface.
• Addition of QuickTime – (iPads only) a new suggestion bar for the iOS virtual keyboard, formatting shortcuts and increased gesture support.
• Improved Notes – You can take photos from within the Notes app and add text, you can draw and sketch in the Notes app, and you can even quickly and easily turn any list into a checklist.
• A back button- iOS still doesn’t have a universal back button like Android phones do, but now there’s a back button that appears in the top-left corner of the screen anytime you jump from one app to another.

Download iOS 9

If you're still cruising with iOS 8, here's the three-step tango you're going to want to do to upgrade: Settings > General > Software Update. Again, make sure you back up your data, you know, just to be safe.

Update:

• Apple confirms that updating immediately could be a bumpy ride, so deep breaths, people.
• Many people reported problems downloading the software when it became available, with an error message that said the "software update failed."