iOS 14 release date is out and is set for September 16, today. CEO Tim Cook revealed the release date of iOS 14 at Apple's virtual event on Tuesday, where it brought the Apple Watch Series 6, Apple Watch SE, iPad 8, and the iPad Air 4 as its new hardware offerings. Apple unveiled iOS 14 as the next iteration in the iOS family at the virtually held WWDC 2020 in June. Alongside the latest iOS version, Apple is releasing iPadOS 14, watchOS 7, and tvOS 14 later today.

iOS 14 release date, time in India

Apple CEO Tim Cook at his virtual keynote on Monday said that iOS 14 release would take place today, September 16. Although Cook didn't reveal the release time, looking at previous rollouts, we can expect the iOS 14 update to reach compatible iPhone models and the seventh-generation iPod touch at around 10am PST/ 1pm EST. This means that the update should arrive on your Apple device in India at around 10:30pm IST today.

iOS 14 compatible iPhone models

The iOS 14 update will be available for download on all iPhone models that are in the compatibility list of iOS 13. This means that iOS 14 will be compatible with the iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone SE, iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone X, iPhone XR, iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11 Pro Max, and the iPhone SE (2020). Apart from all these iPhone models, the iOS update will also be compatible with the seventh-generation iPod touch.

How to download iOS 14

You can download iOS 14 on your eligible iPhone or iPod touch once it has reached your device by going to Settings > General > Software Update. It will also automatically be downloaded if you have already chosen that option on your device. We suggest you to back up your personal data before beginning the download process. Moreover, your device should have an adequate amount of battery charge, or be plugged in and charging, to carry out the update.

iOS 14 features

As Apple announced at WWDC 2020, iOS 14 will be the “biggest update ever to Home Screen pages” and will bring a new space to organise apps into one view called the App Library. The iOS update will also carry redesigned widgets as well as a new interface for FaceTime, voice calls, and Siri interactions. Apple will also bring Picture-in-Picture support to your iPhone or iPod touch through iOS 14.

Further, iOS 14 will come with an upgraded Messages experience where you'll be able to pin any of your favourite conversations or get alerted on receiving messages in group threads through mentions and inline replies. Apple will also offer updates to preloaded Maps, Siri, and Safari apps.

The iOS 14 update was also slated to bring the ability to let you opt out of in-app tracking. However, Apple delayed that particular privacy-focussed feature after facing some backlash from developers including Facebook. The company said in a statement that the requirement to use the tracking permission would go into effect early next year.

iPadOS 14, watchOS 7, tvOS 14 release

In addition to the iOS 14 update, Apple is releasing iPadOS 14, watchOS 7, and tvOS 14 for all compatible devices later today. The new iPadOS will bring features such as redesigned sidebars, pull-down menus, and an enhanced search experience that works similar to macOS's Spotlight pop-up search bar.

For Apple Watch users, watchOS 7 brings customisable watch faces, activity rings for kids, various new complications, sleep tracking, and the ability to share watch faces. There is also a Family Setup to let you pair watches for your children and parents using your iPhone. Lastly, tvOS 14 brings Picture-in-Picture, multiuser support for gaming, and support for gaming controllers Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 and Xbox Adaptive Controllers.

WWDC 2020 had a lot of exciting announcements from Apple, but which are the best iOS 14 features for India? We discussed this on Orbital, our weekly technology podcast, which you can subscribe to via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or RSS, download the episode, or just hit the play button below.

iPad Air (4th Gen) has been announced with the new and improved Apple A14 Bionic processor, even before the SoC could make its debut in the next-generation iPhone lineup. This is a rare occurrence as Apple typically introduces a new chip with a new iPhone generation and then adds it to the iPad lineup. Apple is calling A14 Bionic “the most powerful chip ever made.” The last time Apple introduced a new chip in iPad before iPhone was with the iPad 2 launch in March 2011.

Apple A14 Bionic chip

The A14 Bionic processor, as described by Greg Joswiak, Apple's senior vice president of worldwide marketing, provides a massive boost in performance that helps in bringing powerful pro features at a more affordable price. This six-core processor is present in the iPad Air (4th Gen) brings a 40 percent boost in CPU performance and 30 precent improvement in graphics, compared to the previous generation.

Typically, Apple's the new processors make their debut with new iPhone models and then make their way to the iPad models. This year, however, the iPad Air (4th Gen) has become the first device to come with the new chip and the upcoming iPhone 12 models, that do not have a release date yet, are expected to follow.

As mentioned, this isn't the first time Apple has done this. 9 years ago, the iPad 2 got the A5 processor months before the iPhone 4S came out. But, traditionally, Apple keeps its new processors for the latest iPhone models first.

Talking about the A14 Bionic, Apple says it uses 5nm manufacturing process and has 11.8 billion transistors. It is also capable of performing up to 11 trillion operations per second, thanks to the new 16-core Neural Engine that is twice as fast as the previous generation.

Is this the end of the Samsung Galaxy Note series as we know it? We discussed this on Orbital, our weekly technology podcast, which you can subscribe to via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or RSS, download the episode, or just hit the play button below.