iPhone's New iOS7 Design Is Flat as Hell and You Can't Stand the Wait Anymore
After hearing a lot about the "flat" new look of iOS 7 that may or may not be revealed next month, there's finally been some light shed on details of what the latest iPhone design basics might look like — and, well, things start off pretty much in the dark.
.After hearing a lot about the "flat" new look of iOS 7 that may or may not be revealed at Apple's World Wide Developer's conference next month, there's finally been some light shed on details of what the latest iPhone design basics might look like — and, well, things start off pretty much in the dark. In general, as we've explained before, "flatter" means less of that corny 3D shadowing and shine (there's no glow to the icons in the concept design above), but it also makes for less "skeumorphism," the design term used for the nonsensicle real-world metaphors we see in software design these days. With WWDC coming up in just a couple of weeks, Mark Gurman over at 9to5Mac has seemingly legit details on what that will mean for your upcoming iPhone operating system, as imagined, apparently, by Apple design guru Jony Ive..
A Darker Lock Screen...
The "black, white, and flat all over" design will start with the very first screen users see. "With iOS 7, Apple will drop the shiny, transparent time bar on the top of the Lock screen in exchange for a shine-free, black interface," writes 9to5's Gurman. Could that look something like this concept design from IB Times, just without so much shine on top, and maybe still a clock somewhere? (The iWatch isn't that close, after all.) "Additionally, the square-grid for entering a pin code has been replaced with round, black buttons with white text and white borders," writes Gurman.
...and Darker Notifications
Both the homescreen and notification center will see enhancements, apparently. "Sources say that notifications on the Lock screen may see improved manipulability with gestures," explains Gurman — and you can those notification options on the unlock screen itself in the photo at right. As for the notification center, it's said to be getting a design overhaul that matches the darker lock screen — out goes the "dark linen background" for dark grey/black color, with white text. And the notifications will get some new widgets, too, such as "easily-accessible panel for WiFi, Airplane Mode, and Bluetooth toggles," as pictured in this concept design (also from IB Times):
No More Shine...
All the apps and buttons that currently have any major sort of sheen to them will lose that design element, sources tell Gurman, including the Home screen app icons, as pictured above, as well as the keyboard letters. Concept designer Peter Goris has a pretty good mock-up of what the keyboard might look like in this image to the right.
...but Not Darker Apps
There is one key element of that Gurman describes that seems to have a little brighter feel — and it could actually affect all those developers at WWDC: "Apps such as Mail, Calendar, and Maps have also gained a more uniformed look with flat white textures. While the core elements of those apps are mostly white, each app has been given a unique button color," he writes. It seems that each app would have its own color theme against a white background, which would look something like the Calendar app concept design from Simply Zesty pictured at left.
Again, Apple may or may not announce these new design elements at the developers conference, which begins June 10th and tends to have some sort of big reveal. Indeed, even the rumors have suggested that such an ambitious overhaul of the iPhone's basic look won't be ready by then, in which case we won't get to see this beauty until a new iPhone comes out. But the previews don't look too summery, do they now?