In other privacy measures, Apple also now blocks Wi-Fi and Bluetooth location tracking on iPhone, and has a new (optional) feature that makes apps ask you every time they need your location.

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Individual iPhone apps had a tune-up as well, including:

• More advanced editing features for Photos, as well as "intelligent" organisation that hides bad pics.
• A Google Street View inspired mode for Maps called Look Around.
• A native one-hand swipe-to-type method called QuickPath.
• A new voice for Siri.
• Files can now access data from connected external storage
• Memoji avatars are invading Messages with new stickers
• A new look for Reminders, Notes and Car Play

iPadOS gives Apple's tablet its own flavour

The iPad will get the new features of iOS 13 as well, but this year marks a branching point where the tablet goes its own way with dedicated software called iPadOS. Essentially, it helps the iPad break away from looking and behaving like a big phone to become more of the laptop replacement Apple wants it to be.

A new home screen shows more apps and can feature Apple's Today View as a widget, meaning you can pin your notes or the weather directly to the main screen. Meanwhile, enhancements to Split View mean you can finally see two windows of the same app side-by-side, which should ease a lot of the headaches of managing email or working with Google Docs on the iPad.

Specific apps have seen tweaks for iPadOS as well, including a more desktop-like experience in Safari and Files.

Finally, Apple Pencil integration has been improved, with users now able to swipe with the stylus from the corner of the screen to capture an entire webpage or document, which they can then mark up and send to a contact.

MacOS and an all new Mac Pro

Apple's computer software saw a couple of major and, again, expected updates. First of all macOS Catalina will abandon iTunes, with the Music, Podcasts and TV apps stepping up to replace it. However, users will not lose all the music they had previously bought, downloaded or ripped from CDs; those will still be available in the Music app. For those who aren't ready for the streaming subscription future, Apple will even continue selling tracks.

Continuing the iPad love, Apple also announced a new macOS feature called Sidecar, which lets you extend your Mac to your Apple tablet and use it as an external display. Supported apps will also let you use the iPad and Apple Pencil as a drawing tablet. Separately Apple said it was making it easier for developers to bring their existing iPad apps to the App Store for Mac.

Apple also detailed significant changes to its accessiblity suite, with new Voice Control capabilities that also work with iPhone and iPad, and a new tweak to Screen Time that can track users across all their devices including Macs.

On the hardware side, Apple announced a Mac Pro that looks like a cheese grater but packs a serious punch. The entry-level model features an eight-core Xeon processor, 32GB of RAM, a Radeon Pro 580X graphics card and a 256GB SSD, and it only gets crazier from there. There's even the option of a special Apple-developed graphics card called Afterburner.

The company also introduced a 32-inch HDR display called the Pro Display XDR, which is intended for use as a reference monitor or for high-end video editing.

Expanded health tracking, more apps on Apple Watch

Expanding the scope of Apple's health-tracking, the new WatchOS features a Cycle Tracking app, letting women see predicted timing for their next period and fertile window, as well as keeping track of logged menstrual cycle information.

There's also a new ability to monitor ambient noise, and alert users if the decibel level reaches 90, which can be damaging to hearing over time.

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In a welcome update to the way WatchOS works, the new software will also allow access to a dedicated App Store, for third-party apps that work wholly on the watch. Apple is opening up new APIs that allow developers to stream audio to the device, which should make for more podcast and music apps in the near future.

There will be, of course, the usual glut of new watch faces to choose from, as well as expanded app functions including the ability to create Voice Memos and listen to Apple Books audiobooks directly from the watch.

Apple TV gets ready for Arcade

When Apple's new gaming subscription launches this year, users will get access to a growing library of games with no ads or microtransactions, for use across devices and up to six different family-linked profiles. But if you want to game on the big TV, you'll likely want an Apple TV.

That's why Apple announced tvOS 13 will support the connection of Bluetooth-enabled controllers from Sony or PlayStation. That means you can take your pad from a PS4 or Xbox One S and use it on Apple's device.

The new Apple TV software also has multi-user support baked in, so different family members can all access their own games, TV and music. It also comes with new 4K screensavers filmed underwater by the BBC.