It's been a while since Apple made sweeping changes to the iOS design language. Instead, the company slowly changed parts of the system, such as the lock screen in iOS 16. But now there are skeptical rumors that iOS 18 will have a new design inspired by the VisionOS user interface.
iOS 18 will have a new interface based on VisionOS ?
A report from The Verifier claims that iOS 18, the next major update to the iPhone and iPad operating system, will include visual elements from VisionOS. While VisionOS is clearly inspired by iOS, elements shown in Vision Pro have more rounded corners, shadows, and depth as windows always float and overlap complex backgrounds.
The website uses tvOS 17.2 as an example of this transition, as the update brought a revamped Apple TV app with a new floating sidebar similar to what users can find in VisionOS apps. However, despite recent updates, the iPhone app still has its own design language.
It's important to take this report with a grain of salt, especially since The Verifier has a mixed reputation when it comes to rumors Bloomberg's Mark Gurman recently reported that iOS 18 will have “ambitious changes across the board.” but it's unclear whether these changes refer to the new interface or just new AI-powered features coming this year.
9to5Mac's Take
While all of Apple's operating systems do have a lot in common, the company has been very consistent in maintaining differences in its design languages. For example, iOS never had round icons due to watchOS or icons with shadows and depth due to macOS Big Sur.
I believe there is some truth to the report, but there is no truth to it. not about iOS. We're talking about tvOS. The new Apple TV app in tvOS 17.2 is a great example of what's inspired by the VisionOS interface. And given that tvOS runs on much larger screens, it would make sense to make it somewhat more similar to VisionOS.
What about you? What do you think about this rumor? Let us know in the comments section below.
Read also
- iOS 18: here it is what we know so far.
- Tim Cook teases Apple AI announcements coming “later this year” amid iOS 18 rumors.
