UPDATED 00:48 EDT / SEPTEMBER 13 2017

APPS

Apple’s iOS 11 is coming Sept. 19 with iPhone X-specific features

Alongside its big reveal of the iPhone X, Apple Inc. also announced the official release date of its latest iPhone and iPad operating system.

Although a near-final version of iOS 11 rolled out to developers and public beta testers Tuesday, all users will be able to download the OS on Sept. 19, a few days ahead of the official release of the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus.

Since Apple announced iOS 11 in June at its Worldwide Developers Conference and a multitude of beta versions have been released, we had a good idea of what features to expect in the new OS. IOS 11 is one of Apple’s biggest OS updates in years and includes various productivity features for iPad users, as well as the ability to pay friends via iMessage, a “Do Not Disturb” mode while driving and a redesigned App Store.

Here’s a look at the new iOS 11 features specifically for iPhone X, as well as how you can get early access to the latest OS:

New iOS 11 features for iPhone X

Because the latest premium flagship will only be available on Nov. 3, users will have to wait some time before they can test drive the new features.

Face ID

One of the biggest features for the iPhone X and iPhones going forward is the removal of Touch ID in favor of Face ID. The new Face ID feature uses a TrueDepth camera system, which is a combination of a dot projector, infrared camera and flood illuminator.

Users will be able to use Face ID to unlock their iPhone X, authorize Apple Pay transactions and gain access to secure apps, as well as any other features that previously used Touch ID.

Various questions have already been raised about Apple’s Face ID regarding how secure it will be and whether there is any legal protection.

Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.’s iris scanning that it introduced with the Galaxy S8 earlier this year was fooled by a printed photo on numerous occasions. This shouldn’t, however, be the case with the more sophisticated Face ID, which relies on dual cameras and an arrangement of projected infrared dots that detect depth.

Face ID will require a user’s attention to unlock the device and won’t work if a person’s eyes are closed. Security-conscious users will have the option to disable Face ID, like with Touch ID previously, and can rely on a passcode.

Animoji

animoji

Apple brings life to emojis on the iPhone X with animated emojis or “Animoji.” The TrueDepth camera, together with the A11 Bionic chip, captures and analyzes over 50 different facial muscle movements. Those expressions are then animated in different Animojis, including a panda, a unicorn and a robot, as well as the poop emoji.

Animoji comes as a pre-installed iMessage app on the iPhone X. Users will be able to send Animojis inside iMessage, while the device will also save them as video files with presumably the option to share them on other platforms.

New swipe gestures

Since the iPhone X doesn’t have a home button, users will instead swipe up from the bottom of the screen to go back to the home screen. Swiping up and pausing will bring up the multitasking view. The Control Center can be accessed by swiping down from the top of the screen.

New camera features

Apple has a new camera feature called “portrait lighting,” which will be available on both the iPhone X and 8 Plus, but currently launching in beta only. Using the depth information from the dual cameras, the “portrait lighting” mode will be able to simulate professional lighting setups on a subject.

The iPhone X is also getting portrait mode on the front-facing camera, which will allow users to take selfies with the same blurred background effect available in the regular portrait mode.

IOS 11 compatibility

In addition to the newly launched iPhone X, 8 and 8 Plus, iOS 11 will be available to download on Sept. 19 on the following devices:

  • iPhone: 5s, 6, 6 Plus, 6s, 6s Plus, SE, 7 and 7 Plus
  • iPad: 5th generation (2017); Mini 2, 3 and 4; all Air models and Pro models
  • iPod: 6th generation (2015)

How to download iOS 11

When iOS 11 becomes available on Sept. 19, you can go to Settings > General > Software Update.

Alternatively, if you can’t wait the week you can download the public beta to get the latest version of iOS 11, but you may need to do an update with the official release on Sept. 19.

Follow the steps here on how to backup your device, sign up for Apple’s Developer Program and download and install the public beta of iOS 11.

Image: Apple

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