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Here are the coolest new features of iOS 10 (pictures)

Apple's latest iOS 10 for mobile devices is the company's biggest release ever for users, offering new features like image recognition in Photos, a revamped Music app and a brand-new home automation app called Home. Check out everything you can do with the new platform here.

Justin Yu
Justin Yu covered headphones and peripherals for CNET.
CNET staff
Justin Yu
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You can finally delete those pesky Apple apps.

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iOS 10 adds a bunch of new features. But there are several that need to be refined a bit more.

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3D Touch is an inconsistent experience.

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Voicemail now shows transcriptions of messages.

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Siri in iOS 10 still could use improvement.

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iOS 10

Craig Federighi, Apple's head of software engineering, announced an all-new iOS 10 at WWDC, calling it the "biggest iOS release ever for our users."

It's a huge update with new apps, features and wrappers for nearly all corners of the mobile operating software.

Let's run through a few of the coolest announcements debuting soon on your iPhone and iPad.

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Streamlined notifications with more 3D Touch capabilities

On the heels of the beta release of iOS 9.3.3, iOS 10 makes a big push for 3D Touch integration.

Updates include pickup-to-wakeup, in-notification responses, more detailed notifications, faster access to apps and widgets from the lock screen and live video in notifications.

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A smarter Siri

Apple is launching a Siri software development kit that developers can use to integrate the voice assistant with their own apps.

Instead of Siri just answering your questions -- or sometimes not answering them -- the assistant will be more capable of directly taking care of specific tasks for you across a large lineup of services.

You can say things like, "WeChat Nancy that I'll be 5 minutes late," and the WeChat app will handle your message. You'll be able to send payments, search for photos, hail a car ride and do more with the right supported app. The new SDK will open up a much wider world for Siri, for app developers and for users.

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iOS 10 has a photographic memory

A new Memories tab in iOS 10 will supply fresh doses of nostalgia by sorting through your shots and transforming them into micro-movies of old family vacations, weddings and more.

This will be made possible by a software update that harnesses both facial and object recognition, allowing your mobile device to cluster images by people and scenes (like mountains and beaches), as well as by locations and dates.

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A more proactive Maps

Maps has an all-new design for iOS 10. The UI can suggest locations on a map based on your day-to-day activities, and Apple opened the API up to third-party developers so you'll be able to book an Uber, make a restaurant reservation and get driving directions all without leaving the app.

While you're driving, the system will give you alternate routes and offer turn-by-turn directions in the instrument cluster in your car (thanks to CarPlay), and you can also (finally) zoom ahead while you're receiving driving directions to see the route and upcoming traffic conditions.

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Subscribe to magazines and newspapers in News

The redesigned News app shows a curated list of topics with new "smart topics" based on your reading trends.

The latest feature is Subscriptions, a way to read every article from publications like newspapers and magazines inside the app.

You'll also see breaking news notifications pop up on your screen's notification window while you're not using it so you can keep up with the news cycle.

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Apple cleaned up its Music app

Apple has redesigned its Music app to celebrate hitting 15 million subscribers less than one year after the launch.

The new interface is a much easier to navigate, but don't worry -- you'll still see the familiar tabs at the bottom to access your Library, For You, Browse, Radio and Search functions.

So what's new? Well, for starters the app can now pull down lyrics from the Web, which should be fun for your next karaoke party.

You'll be able to navigate to the For You tab to access a daily curated playlist based on your favorite tunes.

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HomeKit nests in iOS 10

This year in iOS 10, you'll find a new Home app that'll serve as a central point of organization for your connected home setup, along with support for new categories of gadgets, including cameras.

You'll also be able to manage your gadgets right in the Control Center -- just swipe up and then over to access a dedicated smart-home section.

And, thanks to 3D Touch, you'll be able to pull up additional options and info for each device, too -- the feed from your doorbell camera, for instance, with the option to unlock the door if you see someone who needs let in.

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iMessage gets emojified

Messages now support rich content (such as link expansion and video building), bigger emoji with predictions, an in-app camera, scalable text, invisible ink and handwriting and sketches.

Developers now have an API for Messages, too, called iMessage apps, which will have a dedicated app drawer. Think in-message payments or third-party stickers.

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Personal security for iOS 10

The company emphasized its end-to-end encryption and discussed its work on differential privacy -- maintaining personal privacy but understanding that crowdsourced information isn't private.

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iOS 10 public beta

Look for the public beta dropping in July, with the free upgrade opening up to all users this fall.

And be sure to check out which iPhones and iPads will -- and won't -- work with iOS 10.

See all the news from WWDC 2106 here.

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