Apple's new iOS 8 mobile operating system for iPhones and iPads is out and while it may not look like much of an upgrade at first look, it offers a number of new features that will please Apple users.
But, first, if you use an iPhone 4S or iPad 2, you may want to hold off.
As some have found out the hard way already, the new software wants screen space and processing power that the old phone and iPad simply don't have.
And because you can't revert to a previous version of the Apple mobile operating system very easily if things go wrong, reputable blogs like Gizmodo are issuing warnings like "Don't Put iOS 8 on Your iPhone 4S".
After I downloaded the massive 1.2 gigabyte update file to my iPhone 5 – which required offloading hundreds of photos from my phone to my computer to make space – and waited half an hour for the install to complete, I was able to try out some of the highly anticipated new features.
At first nothing feels new about the upgrade, so I decided to change the wallpaper and lock screen picture just to compensate for the lack of immediately identifiable cosmetic changes, but on closer inspection you begin to notice the new features tucked away in updated apps and other areas on the phone.
Tap the home button twice, for instance, and you'll see your favourite and recent contacts, making it easier to call them; open the Camera app and you'll notice a new timer, native image-editing features and a time-lapse feature for video; or peek inside the Messages app for a new option to send voice bytes or your location to friends via iMessage.
Another feature I really liked was QuickType, which predicts the next word the phone thinks you might be about to type.
In the Messages app it also appears to be contextually aware, meaning it reads messages sent to you and offers responses like "yes", "no" or "maybe" if a question is asked, in a very similar way to what other operating systems like Android have had for some time.
Another standout feature called Handoff will become more useful when the new Mac desktop operating system Yosemite comes out later this year. It will make it super easy to start things like email messages on your phone and finish them off on your Macbook or iMac.
These are just some of the changes Apple has made, besides putting a couple of new default apps on the phone, such as Health, Tips and Podcasts. But third-party developers have also updated their apps to make use of new capabilities they've been given in the operating system.
The developers behind the password manager app 1Password, for example, have made it easier for you to access your passwords by using your fingerprint on the iPhone 5S (and the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus) instead of having to type out the master password each time.
If you use 1Password like me several times daily, and have a long master password that takes some time to enter, this will save you lots of time. But there are security risks associated with using your fingerprint, as it can be copied by determined people using residue and gummy fingers.
Other developers, like the makers of the Jawbone UP and other fitness wristbands will soon start to integrate their apps with Apple's Health Kit application programming interface, which will enable the data they collect to be sent to Apple's Health app. This will, eventually, give you all your health data in one place on your phone.
On Thursday morning apps like Facebook, Dropbox, 1Password, Instagram, Evernote, Foxtel Go and more released their own updates. Developers of health apps were also rolling out updates as I typed.
So should you upgrade? If you want the latest security and features, yes. But if you have an iPhone 4S and speed is important then it might be worth waiting to see if Apple can fix the performance issues.
You may also want to have your device plugged into mains power while it installs the update. One of my colleagues noticed her iPhone 5S battery dropped 31 per cent charge during the install.
