Apple poised to revamp iPhone, iPad, Mac software

It's been a while since we've seen a dramatic overhaul on any of Apple's operating systems, but we could see the biggest ones in years as soon as WWDC.

Apple is gearing up to overhaul its operating systems in hopes of making its platforms more cohesive. The idea is that the change should make the platforms feel familiar to people coming from one device to another.

The new updates are expected to come later in 2025 according to Bloomberg. Apple will update its icons, menus, apps, windows, and system buttons.

Sources told Bloomberg the design is loosely based on visionOS, the operating system on the Apple Vision Pro. The revamp to iOS 19 and iPadOS 19 is codenamed "Luck," while macOS 16 is dubbed "Cheer."

It seems as though this will be the biggest refresh to the Mac operating system since 2020 with the advent of Big Sur, and the iPhone since iOS 7.

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The changes will allegedly go much further than aesthetic tweaks. The report claims that user interfaces will change — but without a merge that's happened elsewhere.

For those who are hopeful that they'll see the iPad adopt macOS, don't get too excited. The company still plans on keeping the devices separate — after all, it still wants customers to own both.

If the report is accurate, we'll see many of the changes profiled at WWDC 2025, which will presumably take place this June.

The move reportedly aims to recapture some of its Pandemic-era sales. While Apple saw incredible growth in 2021, its numbers haven't been nearly as good since. However, it seems as though the company is already beginning to see a rebound.

As Bloomberg points out, even though the design change has probably been a long time coming, it might be a good distraction from the less-than-perfect Apple Intelligence launch.

Just last week, Apple confirmed it would not be launching its new, more personalized Siri in iOS 18.4. While it's possible that we may see the improved Siri in iOS 19, it's just as likely that Apple could hold off even longer.

28 Comments

Johar 5 Years · 21 comments

About 1 month ago

I have this terrible feeling that MacOS will be dumbed down in order to make it "easier to navigate" for iPhone users. Like when a much used website suddenly is remade with a "mobile first" design approach. Everything becomes huge and space wasting for users with a big screen.

6 Likes · 1 Dislike

canukstorm 12 Years · 2784 comments

About 1 month ago

Johar said:

I have this terrible feeling that MacOS will be dumbed down in order to make it "easier to navigate" for iPhone users. Like when a much used website suddenly is remade with a "mobile first" design approach. Everything becomes huge and space wasting for users with a big screen.

"
I have this terrible feeling that MacOS will be dumbed down in order to make it "easier to navigate" for iPhone users." => of course

2 Likes · 1 Dislike

maltz 14 Years · 532 comments

About 1 month ago

I really hope this article is vastly overstating what is planned, because this sort of thing is usually a terrible idea. Beyond some basic things like having similar settings in similar places (which they've already standardized) there's no reason for it - they're different things. Everyone should have learned this lesson with Windows 8 - Microsoft did.

I don't have any trouble using both a car and a lawnmower. I can figure out how to use two things.

(Trying to recapture pandemic sales is even more stupid. That was a one-off even that made some industries boom temporarily, often to their short-term detriment down the road. Someone pushing up their laptop upgrade because they suddenly work from home doesn't buy a new laptop 1-2 years later when they normally would have. If that's really what's behind this, I worry for Apple's basic business sense.)

1 Like · 1 Dislike

canukstorm 12 Years · 2784 comments

About 1 month ago

maltz said:

I really hope this article is vastly overstating what is planned, because this sort of thing is usually a terrible idea. Beyond some basic things like having similar settings in similar places (which they've already standardized) there's no reason for it - they're different things. Everyone should have learned this lesson with Windows 8 - Microsoft did.

I don't have any trouble using both a car and a lawnmower. I can figure out how to use two things.

(Trying to recapture pandemic sales is even more stupid. That was a one-off even that made some industries boom temporarily, often to their short-term detriment down the road. Someone pushing up their laptop upgrade because they suddenly work from home doesn't buy a new laptop 1-2 years later when they normally would have. If that's really what's behind this, I worry for Apple's basic business sense.)

"Apple Inc. is preparing one of the most dramatic software overhauls in the company’s history, aiming to transform the interface of the iPhone, iPad and Mac for a new generation of users.
The revamp — due later this year — will fundamentally change the look of the operating systems and make Apple’s various software platforms more consistent, according to people familiar with the effort. That includes updating the style of icons, menus, apps, windows and system buttons.
As part of the push, the company is working to simplify the way users navigate and control their devices, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the project hasn’t been announced. The design is loosely based on the Vision Pro’s software, they said.
Apple is betting that a breakthrough new interface can help spur demand after a sluggish stretch. Its revenue slowed following a pandemic-era surge in technology spending, and growth is only returning gradually. Apple’s iPhone — its biggest moneymaker — suffered a surprise dip in sales during the most recent holiday season.
The changes are coming as part of iOS 19 and iPadOS 19 — code-named “Luck” — and macOS 16, which is dubbed “Cheer.” They go well beyond a new design language and aesthetic tweaks. The software will mark the most significant upgrade to the Mac since the Big Sur operating system in 2020. For the iPhone, it will be the biggest revamp since iOS 7 in 2013.
The updates are poised to be a highlight at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference in June — and could help distract from the company’s tumultuous push into artificial intelligence. Last week, Apple indefinitely delayed its AI upgrades for the Siri digital assistant, confirming a Bloomberg News report that the enhancements were in jeopardy.
A key goal of the overhaul is to make Apple’s different operating systems look similar and more consistent. Right now, the applications, icons and window styles vary across macOS, iOS and visionOS. That can make it jarring to hop from one device to another.
Still, Apple is stopping short of merging its operating systems — a step other tech giants have taken. The company believes it can make better Macs and iPads by keeping their operating systems separate. Another benefit for Apple is it encourages consumers to buy both devices, rather than getting by with one.
Apple’s visionOS, meanwhile, was developed for its mixed-reality headset — a device that melds virtual and augmented reality. That product hasn’t sold well since its debut last year, but the software has innovative touches that will ultimately spread to other devices.
VisionOS differs from iOS and macOS in the use of circular app icons, a simplified approach to windows, translucent panels for navigation, and a more prominent use of 3D depth and shadows. But the Vision Pro’s more immersive experience — and use of a hand-gesture interface — means that some elements won’t apply to the 2D world of iOS and macOS.
The upgrade has become a major focus for Apple’s software engineering organization, as well as the user interface team within the company’s larger design group."
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