It would be easy to apply cynicism to Apple's claim that the new iOS 10 release is the company's "biggest ever," but if early signs are any indication, the latest operating system packs as much substance as it does style.
Earlier today we brought you a list of our favorite new features, but explore beyond the showcase updates and you'll find a bunch of less-heralded modifications and minute tweaks that, apart from freshening up the iOS experience generally, can also go some way to making your day that little bit less annoying.
You might not have noticed them yet, so we've highlighted five "hidden" features (curated by the folks of Mashable) below. For a more comprehensive list, head over to the official Apple website.
1. You Can Now Quickly Close All Safari Tabs
It has been scientifically proven* that the average iPhone user has at least 1,467 Safari tabs running at any given point, but iOS 10 means that decluttering said history need not be a chore. Instead of having to close down each page individually like before, the user can now hold down the tab button in the top right corner and, like magic, the accumulated tabs will disappear faster than you can say "latest NMD drop."
*Not based on accurate information.
2. You Can Now Control The Flashlight Brightness
Apple's built-in LED flashlight has always been very bright. Like, insanely, iridescently bright. While there's no denying its effectiveness on dark nights or when turning up at a concert; the option of using it without permanently blinding the person standing opposite would also be nice. iOS 10 comes with three settings — low, medium and high — allowing you to adjust accordingly.
3. The Low Quality Image Mode Can Help Conserve Battery
When entering that critical 20% juice territory with no charger in sight, most people would crawl naked over broken glass if it meant prolonging their battery life for just a few seconds longer. Perhaps that is being slightly hyperbolic, but regardless, this latest update on the iOS 10 ensures such hypothetical indignities are less likely to occur than they were before.
By turning on Low Quality Image Mode, users can still receive photos from friends in normal sharpness but then send their own back in lower, less taxing resolution: handy if you're running low at a festival or party.
4. There's Now a Built-In Voicemail Transcriptor
If we're being honest, we're slightly ambivalent towards this one. In theory, having a transcription function would be perfect for loud environments or when stuck in a meeting, but said function becomes problematic when it relies on someone as historically inept as Siri. It's probably worth calling up voicemail and playing the message back for yourself before messaging anyone back.
5. The Emoji Replacement and Prediction Function is FIRE
Out of all the unimportant things in the world, emojis are by far the most important. And now, iOS 10 makes using them more convenient than ever before. Once your message is typed up, the new service will scan your words before matching them to emoji characters it deems relevant, thus negating the need of shuffling between keyboards and trawling through page after page.
You can find more nifty iOS 10 updates here via Mashable. After that, read why you should skip the iPhone 7 and wait for the iPhone 8.