Apple has apparently been working on some extremely significant changes for iOS 7, and the next generation operating system will have some massive design alterations that will make it stand apart from its predecessors. The rumor comes from 9to5Mac who, after talking with sources familiar with the new OS, have suggested that iOS 7 will feature a ‘flat’ user interface which gets rid of the skeumorphic designs of the previous iOS versions. This will mean a massive change for users who are very familiar with the existing iOS user interface.
The report notes that there will be new icons for Apple’s native iOS apps, such as the Phone app, the iMessage app and the Contacts app. Interestingly, the software has also been tested in he wild, using devices with polarizing filters to prevent items on the screen being visible to people other than the user of the device, although its unclear if this has been off Apple HQ.
The recent release of the WWDC 2013 icon could perhaps provide some indication for what could be expected from iOS 7, as one of the sources indicated a level of familiarity between the logo and the design influences for the new operating system.
While one of the sources compared the new UI to the Windows Phone Metro interface, it will be interesting to see how Apple approaches the new UI in order to set it apart from the increasingly competitive smartphone market.
Flat Panel…