Apple: Free iOS 5 upgrade ships October 12

October 04, 2011 2:11 PM EDT

As you'd expect, Apple [AAPL] is prosletyzing its iOS platform during its keynote speech today, revealing that is has become the number one mobile OS with a claimed 43 percent of the market -- and that iOS5 will ship on October 12. And will be free.

Apple's mobile gorilla

In a list of superlatives, the company's Scott Forstall dazzled us with statistics:

-- iTunes is number one for apps
-- over 18 billion apps downloaded so far
-- 1 billion apps downloaded each month
-- Apple has paid developers $3 billion so far.
Forstall took a moment to look at some of the new features within iOS 5:
  • iMessages: To all your devices.
  • Reminders: Set them up -- pick up your laundry -- also these things are location-based, so you could say "remind me to pick up my laundry when I leave work", or any other location-based demand. This is Siri-usly interesting...
  • Twitter: Tweet photos and sites from Safari and video from YouTube.
  • Newstand: Get your daily news fix there.
  • Camera: New editing options and better quality photos because of these feature improvements, he said.
  • Gamecenter: 67 million users now get Friend discovery and game recommendations.
  • Safari: Nothing new here: tabbed browsing and Reader have been discussed before. He also talked about improved search in Mail/
  • PC-free: with wireless updates.

The best thing? For many of us the wait is over -- the new mobile OS will ship on October 12, and will be free to download for supporting iOS devices.

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Also from yesterday's Apple's 'Let's Talk iPhone' event coverage, read:

Why the iPhone 4S critics are wrong, wrong, wrong

Apple: Faster iPhone 4S ships October 14

Apple breaks iCloud October 12

Apple: Free iOS 5 upgrade ships October 12

Apple confirms Mac sales are up, up, up 

Why Apple may talk Apple Maps when it talks iPhone

Apple, Wippit, iTunes Match and the death of Big Music.