How Apple’s iOS 11 and Android’s Oreo will transform your devices into next-generation gadgets

As Android’s new Oreo system lands, David Phelan has a guide to scoring a new phone with just a software update
Double stuff: Android's new Oreo software will be twice as fast as the previous operating system
Android
David Phelan31 August 2017

It used to be that when you bought a gadget, whether a washing machine or a mobile phone, it filled a specific role and that was it. Nowadays, software updates can add extra features to existing gizmos so they get better over time.

This autumn, Apple will release iOS 11, the new operating software for the iPhone and iPad which will give your current Apple phone or tablet extra powers. And last week Google revealed Android Oreo, the latest software named after a sweet treat, which will be rolled out to existing Android phone users over the coming months.

So what do you need, what do you get, and how do you snag a free upgrade?

Another bite of the Apple

You start with: iPhone 5s or newer

Result: Subtle improvements across the phone, such as the Control Centre, from which you access everything from volume to music to the torch. This now appears when you swipe up from the bottom of the display in one customisable screen: tap the Music panel and it’ll expand to show more options. Add extra items for easy access, such as Camera, Notes or Alarm.

The Maps app now has indoor mapping for airports and some shopping centres, and if you’re driving there’s now lane guidance so you come off the motorway in time.

Smart tech: in pictures

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Talking of driving, there’s a new Do Not Disturb setting for when you’re on the road so notifications don’t come through to distract you and people trying to reach you can be notified that you’re driving.

A new onscreen keyboard means you can flick a key downwards to get a capital letter or symbol and you can even choose a one-handed keyboard so you can text while strap-hanging on the Tube — the keys just snuggle up to the side so one thumb can reach them all.

The voice-activated assistant Siri has a new, more realistic voice and is smarter, with more information about sports events, for instance.

Siri can intelligently work across the phone, so if you’ve booked a hotel room it’ll automatically put the dates in your calendar. Easy.

The camera sees a raft of improvements to Live Photos, where it saves a group of frames as a short video, including effects such as long exposures or a video loop.

And when you do switch to a new phone, just holding it near your old iPhone, iPad or Mac will transfer settings, preferences and passwords across, provided both are running iOS 11: the system uses the camera on one device to pick up a code on the other, then after password entries, transfers details wirelessly.

How? When iOS 11 launches, which will likely be in mid-September, go to Settings, then General, Software Update and download it. And, er, that’s it, you’re done. Enjoy.

Supercharge your iPad

9 health apps you have to download

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You start with: iPad Pro (all models), iPad Air, iPad Air 2, 2017 iPad or iPad mini (all models except the first one).

Result: Just you wait. This is a massive upgrade. It turns the iPad into a real productivity machine, almost a laptop substitute. The row of apps on the bottom of the home screen, called the Dock, now becomes more customisable and extensive so you can launch up to three apps at the same time. You can drag and drop a photo, say, straight from a web page into a text message or an email. Because the iPad screen recognises multiple touches, you can move items simultaneously.

Three different apps can be live at the same time so multi-tasking is easy. And if you use two apps together — say, a recipe app and a shopping list in Notes, the iPad will remember and pair them ready for next time. A new Files app means you can view pretty much everything, from documents to photographs to videos, whether they’re on the iPad or online storage places such as iCloud Drive — again, very like a PC. The iPad has all relevant iPhone upgrades too.

How? As for the iPhone above, just go to Software Update in Settings.

Get a smarter phone

The Google Pixel phone 

You start with: It’s more complicated with Android as there are so many compatible phones. Basically, nearly all new phones will be upgradeable, most before the end of the year. If you have Google’s own-brand phones, the Pixel and Pixel XL, it’ll be now or within days. Phones with interfaces close to pure Android, like the new Nokia 8, will similarly not have long to wait. And phones released later this year will mainly come with Oreo installed.

Result: A similar-looking but much smoother and faster performance with Oreo. Users are reporting their phone turns on faster, apps open quicker and work better with no slowdown. Battery life is improved, too, thanks to changes to how apps run in the background.

Oreo heralds the arrival of Android Instant Apps: if you see an app on a website, instead of going to Play Store to get it, you can quickly download the little bit of it you need directly from the site.

A new, under-the-hood upgrade called Project Treble means that handset makers can add their own customised looks in a different way so future upgrades should be faster.

Autofill will mean Google can, if you give permission, save log-ins and passwords across multiple devices like PC, tablet and phone to sign you into an app faster. Apple already has this across Mac, iPhone and iPad.

How? Go to Software Update in the About phone section of Settings. If Oreo is ready for your phone, it’ll offer to download it. In most cases, this will be in the weeks or months ahead.

Of course, the next iPhones and new handsets from Sony, Google and LG will have features current models can’t match but these software updates mean yesterday’s phones and tablets should become more capable, slicker and smarter.

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