iOS 5 update available 12 October

iOS 5 will be yours to play with on 12 October. The latest update to Apple's software for its mobile devices will be magically available for your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch a week tomorrow, almost the same day as Android Ice Cream Sandwich is expected to launch.

iOS 5 adds a bunch of new features. It offers loads of new camera features, Twitter integration in various apps, including the camera and maps, and reminders based on where you are. There's also iMessage, a free messaging service for use with other Apple users that's similar to RIM's phenomenally popular BlackBerry Messenger software.

iOS 5 also adds support for iCloud, Apple's new online storage and backup service.

iOS 5 will be available as an update on 12 October, which is a Wednesday. You'll get a notification that the update is available, at which point you'll plug in your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch, and Jobs is your uncle: iOS 5 will be yours. One of the features of iOS 5 is that it syncs your stuff and updates itself over the air without a cable, so, hopefully, this will be the last time you'll plug your iDevice into your computer.

It's a busy time for mobile operating systems: Microsoft has just released Mango, its latest update to Windows Phone. And the next version of Google's Android, code-named Ice Cream Sandwich, is also expected to debut in around a week. 

iOS 5 will make its debut on the new iPhone, announced today. Are you looking forward to updating your current phone, or will you be rushing out for a brand-new iPhone? Tell us your thoughts in the comments section below or on our Facebook page.