With just days to go before WWDC, the consensus is that Apple will unveil a big, visionOS-inspired redesign across its operating systems.And while some might be dreading a repeat of the iOS 7 announcement from a decade ago, it’s been long enough that many readers might not remember (or may have never even seen) what that overhaul actually looked like.So here’s a quick refresher on what happened, and why this year will likely (I mean, hopefully?) be different.
The years between 2011 and 2013 were pretty busy at Apple.Following Steve Jobs’ passing, Apple fired Scott Forstall (then SVP of iOS Software) over the botched release of Apple Maps.That left a gap in software design leadership, which was filled by Jony Ive, who also led hardware design.
Soon after, rumors began swirling that he was planning a major visual overhaul of the entire system.Flat In the run-up to WWDC 2013, the reported that Ive had been working on “a more ‘flat design’ that is starker and simpler,” a sharp departure from the great skeuomorphic visuals of the time (think linen textures, paper-like folders, glass effects, and yes, Corinthian leather).Some time after that, 9to5Mac exclusively shared mockups of the redesign, which had been leaked to Mark Gurman.
It was chaos.I vividly remember thinking it was reckless to publish such unfairly primitive sketches of what would certainly be a more polished overhaul.After weeks of intense debate and fierce expectations that the rumors had been wrong, Apple introduced iOS 7: In the years that followed, Apple scaled back its over-flattening of the system, evolving toward what we have today.
Now, that’s about to change once again.Why iOS 26 probably won’t be like iOS 7 Currently, most reports tend to agree that the redesign will be deeply influenced by the visual language of visionOS, with its translucent layers, depth effects, and soft glassy textures.And even if you’re like me and you’ve never worn an Apple Vision Pro, chances are you’ve seen what visionOS looks like.
Apple has already laid the groundwork, so the change won’t be such a jarring surprise, like with iOS 7.And from a design perspective, speaking as someone who’s worked in graphic design for over two decades, the best move Apple could make is exactly what’s been reported: updating systems at once.If you’ve ever had to adapt interfaces and key visuals to multiple concepts, such as wide, narrow, square, rectangular, big, small, etc., you know that with every new aspect ratio, you become a little more familiar and more comfortable with each individual element.
By starting out with the virtually boundless, unconstrained environment of visionOS, then increasingly moving to smaller interfaces across macOS, iPadOS, iOS, and watchOS, every decision informs past and future visual adaptations.In other words, a redesign this broad can be iterative in both directions.Will it be beautiful? That’s subjective.
Even iOS 7 had a handful of defenders.But one thing is certain: Apple’s design team knows how much this moment matters.This is the biggest task they’ve been given since Ive left the company, and they are well aware of the contentious history of iOS design updates.
The mere fact that the new design hasn’t leaked yet points to the absence of dissidents inside the team, and considering how close we are to the announcement, that’s already a victory in itself. You’re reading 9to5Mac — experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day.Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop.
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