- Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has suggested that a larger iOS revision is on the way with iOS 19
- Visionos could serve as inspiration for Apple’s next mobile us
- A new software look could go hand in hand with rumor hardware changes
We’ve heard lots about the rumored hardware upgrades for the iPhone 17 family, which is allegedly at some point at a time later in the year, but a new report from the industry’s best-considered Apple tipster suggests that Apple’s next handset will also start a huge software reel.
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports that iOS 19 will represent “one of the most dramatic software overhaules” in the story of not only iOS but Apple as a company. The last time iOS saw a really massive change in shape and feature was with iOS 7, released in 2013 – even today many of the apps and interface elements found in iOS 18 are based on their iOS 7 versions.
With regard to new functionality, iOS 19 could bring an reworked camera app and (finally) a more powerful Siri, but we are still pretty light on tips on other features. Below we have put together a Roundup of the big rumors so far, as well as a few things I would like to see from Apple’s next mobile operating system.
A revised design
As mentioned, iOS 19 was strongly joined to bring a total visual overhaul to Apple’s mobile operating system, which we have not seen for more than a decade.
Gurman’s Report for Bloomberg suggests that iOS 19 will bring a similar visual update as iOS 7 with a major update to “style with icons, menus, apps, windows and system buttons” across the iPhone experience.
Furthermore, the Bloomberg report suggests that the new interface could draw inspiration from Visionos, which can mean everything from full-on circular icons to subtle adjustments to UI-overlays and menus.
However, a large part of Apple’s success depends as a brand of confidentiality, so it is likely that iOS 19 at least looks like iOS versions from previous years -we wouldn’t expect to see the setting app losing its gear icon motif, for example.
This software overhaul can come as a reworked physical design; The family iPhone 17 is rumored to bring a new hardware look for iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max and brand new iPhone 17 Air.
A new camera -App
The first major proposal from an iOS 19 -Redesign came up with rumors of a new camera app that could use an unclear, open design reminiscent of Visionos.
As we previously reported, a supposed iOS 19-leak hinted at the new camera app design earlier this year with a handful of mocked screens to go with it.
In the screened screens, the trigger button seems to flow freely across the lower part of the screen, with key settings available below instead of being stuffed at the top of the screen.
The buttons are all either circular or rounded, and there are not many of them. In general, the new design looks pretty slim. Still, but of course this is just a leak and may not reflect the last look of the camera app.
An improved Siri
iOS 19 is also the tip of bringing improvements to Apple’s digital assistant, Siri.
We previously expected Siri to get some Apple Intelligence-Flavored updates via mid-year updates for iOS 18, but it now seems to be more likely that Siri will get a proper AI upgrade during the life cycle in iOS 19.
9TO5MAC notes that Apple could gather the two separate systems that are currently driving Siri into one, offering a more conversation and effective experience. Siri is currently using Chatgpt, but it is suggested that Apple prefers not to rely on third -party AI.
However, Gurman predicts that iOS 19 does not bring any major consumer-facing Apple intelligence features so we could wait for later versions of iOS 19 to get a proprietary AI Siri.
iOS 19: What I want to see
Personally, I’m a fan of the soft, reliable interface that Apple has built out over the years. After smoothing the sharp visuals in iOS 7 and adding extended, modernized features with each iteration, iOS 18 looks and feels excellent in most situations.
Nevertheless, there are some things I would like to see from the next version of iOS.
If a new, airy user interface is on the way, it may be a chance for Apple to enable more fluidity in navigating through this user interface. I am a big fan of the swipe navigation found on most of the best Android phones, and always find the lack of a universal “back” gesture a real loss when I switch back to iPhone.
I would also like to see Apple go even further with customization. IOS 18 finally gave us the opportunity to move icons around the Home screen and gene color them to fit with a given wallpaper or theme (here’s how to customize your iPhone’s Home screen in iOS 18 if you haven’t already done so), but again Android has driven ahead for years in this department.
The living wallpapers offered by Xiaomi or OnePlus could serve as valuable inspiration, and more control over widget size in a Visionos-inspired aesthetics would make a lot of sense.
With it all, I support any shakes. From both a hardware and software point of view, telephone design can be pretty homogeneous, so it’s nice to hear that Apple might be willing to take some risks. In any case, let’s know what you want to see from iOS 19 in the comments below.
