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Apple just released iOS 10.1, the first major update to the iPhone and iPad's mobile operating system since iOS 10 launched in September.

For iPhone 7 Plus users, the update officially brings Portrait mode, the camera feature that creates photos with a blurred-out background. Portrait mode will continue to be an ongoing public beta, but iPhone 7 Plus users no longer need to install the public beta in order to get it.

As always, the easiest way to update your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch to iOS 10.1 is to go to Settings > General > Software Update and download it over-the-air (OTA).

iOS 10.1 weighs about 200MB and we recommend connecting to a Wi-Fi network to download adn install it instead of eating into your data plan.

If the update is taking forever to download, your best option is to try again later when Apple's servers aren't being slammed by everyone simultaneously downloading it.

Alternatively, you can also connect your supported iOS device to your PC or Mac and update through iTunes. 

The full iOS 10.1 release notes from Apple include:

iOS 10.1 is available for the following iOS devices:

• iPhone: iPhone 5, iPhone 5C, iPhone 5S, iPhone SE, iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6S, iPhone 6S Plus, iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus

• iPad: iPad 4, iPad Air, iPad Air 2, iPad mini 2, iPad mini 3, iPad mini 4, iPad Pro 9.7, iPad Pro 12.9

• iPod touch: iPod touch (sixth-generation)

As a precaution, we also recommend backing up your data with iCloud or to a computer via iTunes beforehand to prevent any accidental data loss during the update process. It's rare you'll lose any data, but it's always better to be safe than sorry.

Google Photos is also a great way to keep a backup of all your photos and videos. If you go with the free tier, you'll be able to store an unlimited amount of photos at up to 16 megapixels and video at up to 1080p full HD resolution; to store video at up to 4K resolution, you'll need to pay for storage.

Before the mobs come out and put a hex on me, remember that photography and image quality is subjective. What looks better to me might not to you.

That said, let's get on to the camera comparisons between Google's new Pixel and Pixel XL and the iPhone 7/7 Plus and Samsung Galaxy S7/S7 Edge.

On paper, Google, Apple and Samsung's flagship phones appear to have the same cameras: 12 megapixels on the back. The front cameras differ in resolution: 8 megapixels for the Pixels, 5 megapixels for the S7 Edge and 7 megapixels for the iPhone 7.

But as I've said a million times and I'll say a million times more: megapixels (aka resolution) aren't everything. Having more megapixels doesn't make a camera necessarily better. Resolution matters, but if it's at the detriment of image quality and performance, what's the point?

To me, the best phone camera has to be a few things:

• Fast to autofocus and capture: Because you don't want to miss a shot.

• Produce realistic colors with wide dynamic range: Because reality is not a comic book

• Produce sharp details with little image noise: Because details matter.

• Take great low-light photos: Because we like the dark and we like photos in dark places.

The iPhone 7 checks off all of these. Its cameras and image quality are well balanced across the board. The iPhone 7 Plus also has a fancy dual-lens camera that gives it 2x optical zoom and a fancy Portrait mode. Samsung's Galaxy S7/S7 Edge is better with low-light performance and the camera is faster to launch and autofocus, but it also saturates colors more.

The Pixel and Pixel XL's cameras falls somewhere in-between the iPhone 7 and Galaxy S7. They're super fast. Images look incredibly crisp and have great dynamic range and low-light performance is damn good. So what's not to like? I'm not a fan of the oversaturated colors, but that's just me.

Testing method:

I left all camera settings on their defaults. In the past, I've always turned off HDR on all smartphone cameras before shooting with them, but I've now had to change that testing method since most people never bother to fiddle with them.

Not only that, but phones rely heavily on software processing to help produce the final photos. HDR+ is so vital to the Pixels' final image quality that my reviewers guide actually warned me that turning it off would result in poorer-looking photos and slower camera performance. Yikes!

As such, all photos below were shot with HDR set to auto. I couldn't tell you which ones actually had HDR on or off and I don't really care because what you see is what the camera considered the best shot.

Way warmer tones

The Pixel cameras' biggest weakness is color reproduction. Android is doing so much processing to the images that all the colors end up artificially pumped up and oversaturated. I've noticed it's a common symptom that plagues most Android phones like the Galaxy S7 and LG G5 and OnePlus 3. 

How is it that in 2016 no phone maker can match the iPhone's realistic colors?

I personally don't like the saturated colors. They don't look real. Skies are always way too blue. Yellows are too deep. Reds all blend into each other. I'll take photos with lifelike colors over saturated colors any day.

But if you're into the boosted colors or crank up the saturation in post anyway, you'll love the Pixel's  pictures.

Compare these two photos below. Just look at how much bluer the sky in the upper right corner is and how much more yellow the building is.

Here's another example where the blues and yellows are dialed up on the Pixel:

Turning off HDR+ mutes the saturation to some extent, but not by much. And turning HDR+ off on the Pixels isn't worth it since the camera start to lag a little.

Though most photos are way warmer than on the iPhone, sometimes the rear camera goes cooler for some reason. There just isn't much consistency for white balance:

But, at least the dynamic range is wider on the Pixel XL. The details on the fountain grass (that's the fuzzy plant) are softer on the Pixel XL compared to the iPhone 7, but look at how vibrant the purple leaves below it look. The same leaves in the iPhone 7 photo look totally dull in comparison.

Wider field of view

Compared with the iPhone 7, the Pixel XL's camera has a wider field of view thanks to its wider angle lens.

In English, it means you can fit more into a photo. The Pixel XL's wider angle lens makes it a more versatile camera for landscape photography.

It's perfrect for taking photos of tall landscapes, like the Bank of America building below:

The Pixel XL and Galaxy S7 Edge have roughly the same wide field of view:

Both photos look pretty sharp on their respective phone displays. It's only when you view them at 100% crops on a computer monitor that you can really see some of the differences in sharpness.

Honestly, the differences in sharpness are so minor, nobody but a nerd like me would care.

Here's another comparison showing how much more the Pixel XL cameras can capture:

And another close-up crop showing the barely noitceable sharpness differences:

Strong selfie game

As for selfies, I think the Pixel XL does a better job than the iPhone 7:

My skin looks smoother and healthier in the Pixel XL selfie since it's brighter:

Shoots well in low light

The Pixel XL performs quite good night shots. As expected, photos are a yellower than the iPhone 7:

You can click the below comparison to see how the Pixel XL stacks up against the iPhone 7 and Galaxy S7 Edge:

Notice how the sky is more washed out on the Pixel XL photo and the Galaxy S7 Edge turns all the bricks on the building in the left red:

The Galaxy S7 Edge preserves sharper details of the Empire State Building, but the image noise is greater, too:

See that building just between the water tower and that skinny high-rise condominium on the upper right? The Pixel XL brings the green color out best, but the rest of the image is kind of a wash.

Impressive video stabilization

While the camera attention is almost always focused on still photography, the Pixel XL boasts impressive video recording capabilities. Like most smartphones, it records at up to 4K resolution.

That's nothing special. What is crazy is how well the camera stabilizes video. Phones like the iPhone 7 and Galaxy S7 rely on optical image stabilization (OIS) to compensate for shake in different directions, but the Pixels uses electronic image stabilization (EIS) to outstanding effect. 

EIS is normally inferior to OIS, but not so on the Pixels. Through software even the shakiest footage appears smooth — even smoother than the iPhone 7. Here's a video stabilization comparison between the Pixel XL and iPhone 7 (both originally shot in 4K and then downsized to 1080p):

Best smartphone cameras ever?

I don't think so, but they're so damn close. The color saturation bothers me too much, but again, that's personal preference. And that's fine, too, because if you prefer the artificially amplified colors, then the Pixel cameras will be perfect to your eyes.

It feels like a total cop-out to say this, but we've reached a point where the differences — outside of color reproduction — between flagship phone cameras are so negligible that most people will be very happy with the image quality.

We're all benefitting in the end. Android cameras have finally caught up to the iPhone with comparable performance and picture quality. Years of competition have pushed all phone makers to innovate harder and faster and now we're all winning because we don't have to look at crappy photos and videos.

Amidst all the crazy news at Apple's iPhone event last week, the announcement of new emoji may have gotten lost in the shuffle. (Remember the shuffle? RIP.)

As part of the iOS 10 update that rolled out this week, a slew of new – and for the most part, progressive – emoji are available on your iPhone.

With so many new emoji sliding into your DMs, we created a guide on when each is most appropriate to use. 

Here are our suggestions on when you should use all of the shiny new emoji. Happy texting!

Obsessed with Pokémon Go? Then consider a case that will share your love of the game with the world. 

While none of these covers will up your Pokémon-catching skillz, they will definitely give your iPhone some real prestige. Once you've picked one, check out these other Pokémon-themed tech accessories to keep satisfying your Pokémania. 

1. Hand-painted Pokémon cases

Starting off with something a little special, Etsy seller MintCorner offers a range of hand-painted Pokémon character cases. They are all adorable, but this Eevee option is particularly kawaii. 

Available for: iPhone 5 and up

Cost: From $11.50 

2.   Pikachu Dots Phone Case

This funky geometric design brings some Pokémon fun to your phone in a subtle way. Pika Pika! 

Available for: iPhone 5/5S, iPhone SE

Cost: $19.95 

3.  Pokémon Go team cases

Display your allegiance to Mystic, Valor or Instinct with a case in team colors. 

Available for: All iPhones

Cost: $13.99 each 

4.  First generation Pokémon badges case 

Show off your back-in-the-day Pokémon credentials with this snap-on cover that features Gym Badges from the first generation. 

Available for: All iPhones

Cost: $22.91 

5.  Chibi Pokémon pattern case 

Starring 24 Pokémon from the first generation, we’re keeping it old skool with this sweet “chibi” style design. 

Available for: All iPhones

Cost: $28.70 

6.  Fall Fennekin phone case 

Who doesn’t love a Fennekin in fall? Or indeed at any time of the year. This official case captures the fox-like critter nicely. 

Available for: iPhone 5/5S, iPhone SE

Cost: $19.95 

7.  Adorable Pokémon Pikachu iPhone case

If Pikachu is your fave Pokémon, you should find this cute case electrifying. 

Available for: iPhone 6/6S, iPhone 6/6S Plus

Cost: $13.99 

8. Pokémon Poké Ball case

Keep it classic with this colorful Poké Ball case. 

Available for: All iPhones

Cost: $27.08 

9. Haunter phone case

If you prefer the darker side of the Pokemon universe, this Haunter design kills the cute in favor of a Gengar grin. 

Available for: iPhone 6/6s, iPhone 6/6s Plus

Cost: $20 

10.  Personalized Pokémon phone case 

Made from real wood and engraved with a frickin’ laser, this is the ultimate personalized option for serious trainers out there. 

Available for: iPhone 6/6S

Cost: $19.99 

The most controversial change on the new iPhone 7 will be the removal of the headphone jack. You'll either love it or hate it. Accept dongle hell, go Bluetooth or buy new Lightning-based headphones.

In the run-up to the announcement, which is widely expected to be Sept. 7, we've been trying to make educated guesses as to why Apple will drop the jack.

Here are some possible reasons Apple will use to defend its choice:

1. The headphone jack is analog and the iPhone 7 will support high-resolution audio so it needs a digital input.

2. Apple wants to make thinner iPhones and the port's thickness is a limitation.

3. Complete water-sealing.

4. To sell you new Lightning earbuds and headphones.

5. To squeeze in a bigger battery, the port had to die.

6. Bluetooth is the future, no matter what you think. Get over it!

The best hypothesis has been: stereo speakers. In all of the leaked images that have surfaced of the alleged iPhone 7 and 7 Plus there are two sets of speaker holes on the bottom flanking the Lightning port.

A new report from Nowhereelse.fr, with alleged design schematics of the new iPhones, suggests that may not be the case and there will be no secondary speaker. The iPhone, for those who don't know, only has a single downward-facing speaker.

iPhones prior to the iPhone 6 all had dual speaker grilles flanking the connector port, but none were stereo speakers. No iPhone has had stereo speakers. 

One of the benefits of the iPad Pro is its enhanced audio. Both the 12.9- and 9.7-inch iPad Pro have four speaker grilles that output stereo sound.

With less space to fit components, it would be tough to squeeze in a secondary speaker into the already tightly packed iPhone.

Stereo speakers would be a good, but not great reason to ditch the headphone jack. But if that's not the reason, then what will be? It's starting to sound like whatever the reason is, it won't be one we'll be thrilled with. 

Apple is launching its first security bounty. The news comes on the heels of a presentation from Apple’s Ivan Krstic at the annual Black Hat USA security conference in Las Vegas. 

Krstic runs security engineering and architecture at Apple and presented an in-depth look at iOS security. This was Apple’s first appearance at Black Hat in four years. 

Since its battle with the FBI this spring, Apple has been more outwardly focused on discussing its commitment to security. To that end, Apple is opening up its first security bounty program. The program, which will roll out in September, will accept security submissions in a number of areas. Depending on the type of exploit found, researchers and their organizations will get more money. 

The categories and issues up for consideration, along with their bounties, are as follows:  

• Secure boot firmware components – up to $200,000.

• Extraction of confidential material protected by the Secure Enclave Processor – up to $100,000.

• Execution of arbitrary code with kernel privileges – up to $50,000.

• Unauthorized access to iCloud account data on Apple servers – up to $50,000.

• Access to sandboxed processes to user data outside of the sandbox – up to $25,000.

Organizations can accept the money Apple offers or they can donate it to a charity of their choice. Apple says that if researchers choose to donate to a charity, they will consider matching that donation. 

Apple tells me it may also award researchers who share significant critical vulnerabilities not outlined above. 

Unlike many security bounty programs, this program is not open to the public. For now, Apple is partnering with a dozen or so security researchers and organizations to focus on finding flaws. 

But Apple tells me that this isn’t an attempt to be exclusive. The plan is to open it up to more individuals and organizations over time. Apple also says that if someone not associated with an invited organization responsibly discloses a vulnerability, that feedback will be welcome and they may be invited to join the formal process. 

Apple says that it spoke to a number of other companies who have already run successful security bounties and that advice – which was to start small (as to reduce the signal/noise ratio) and then ramp up – contributed to the decision to only involve a few organizations and researchers at the start. 

A long time coming 

Although it’s great that Apple is introducing a security bounty, it's worth noting that the company has taken its time getting here. Nearly every other major tech company – including Microsoft, Google and Facebook – have offered security bounties for years. 

So what took so long?  

Apple tells me that although it has been working with outside researchers for years, it has consistently received feedback – from experts inside and outside of the company – that it is more difficult to identify significant security vulnerabilities without a bounty program.  

As a result, it makes sense that the company would look (finally!) to outside organizations and researchers to offer their own feedback. 

It probably doesn’t hurt that the focus on Apple’s security is now more pointed than ever before. With more eyes on Apple security – and more people trying to bypass it (whether it’s law enforcement or hackers), it makes sense to get more eyes focused on finding flaws. 

I understand the need to limit — at least initially — involvement in the bounty program, but I do hope Apple commits to expanding the individuals and groups involved quickly. iOS as a platform deserves as many eyes on it as possible.

For now, the focus of the bounty is on iOS, but Apple says that it is open to expanding the bounty program to other platforms (including macOS) and other areas, once the program ramps up.

Have something to add to this story? Share it in the comments.

A new survey by Quartz reveals that if Apple doesn't dramatically alter the iPhone 7 from the iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus, nearly 90 percent of iPhone users will not upgrade. 

It's probably not the news Apple wants to hear since iPhone sales are on the decline. But now that we all have iPhones, and after nearly 10 years of using them, it's no surprise there's fatigue. Not only that, but the iPhone 7 in particular looks truly underwhelming.

The online survey, which involved 525 respondents through SurveyMonkey, showed that nearly 63 percent of users would be interested to see a revamped iPhone.

But less than 10 percent would be "very likely" or "extremely likely" to line up for the iPhone as it is. 

Rumors about the new iPhone hint at tiny changes most of which look super annoying (RIP, headphone jack). There are also fears of restricting all of the worthwhile updates to the 7 Plus/ Pro. 

Then again, CEO Tim Cook has said that 60 percent of iPhone users own a version older than iPhone 6. And iPhone is testing out a new program that lets users pay off a new phone on credit, and then update once a year. So who knows, things could change dramatically come November. We'll see soon enough.