iOS 18 Set to Unveil Revolutionary Visual Revamp, Taking Cues from visionOS: Insider Leak

iOS 18 is anticipated to make a grand entrance later this year, boasting a substantial visual overhaul to its user interface (UI), if reports are to be believed. The forthcoming major update for iPhone and iPad users is slated for release in the latter half of 2024, alongside new AI functionalities integrated into the system and Apple’s voice assistant, Siri. Speculation abounds, suggesting that iOS 18 could mark Apple’s most significant mobile OS update in years.

Citing undisclosed sources, a report from The Verifier (in Hebrew) suggests that Apple intends to revamp segments of iOS to emulate the aesthetics of visionOS, the operating system powering the recently launched Apple Vision Pro. With its array of translucent UI elements and captivating blur effects, visionOS is tailored for Apple’s inaugural ‘spatial computer,’ enabling users to experience content in augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) modes.

According to the report, Apple’s redesign efforts are set to extend across various facets of the operating system, encompassing built-in applications like Safari, alongside system menus and pop-ups, all drawing inspiration from visionOS. The first inklings of these forthcoming alterations purportedly surfaced with the tvOS 17.2 update, notably in the Apple TV+ app, heralding what could be a transformative evolution for iOS.

The iPhone maker updated its eponymous content streaming app for Apple TV to tvOS 17.2 in December 2023. The update brought a new translucent sidebar menu that features design elements that are similar to visionOS. The report claims that the company will roll out the same menu design to iPadOS later this year.

While the publication does not have a good record in terms of leaking accurate information related to upcoming Apple products or software, this is not the first time that Apple is said to be working on a major update to iOS. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has also claimed that iOS 18 will be the company’s biggest update to its mobile OS in several years. The company is reportedly working on several AI features that will be baked into the upcoming operating system.

Apple is yet to make any announcements related to its upcoming software updates, and given the company’s secrecy around its products and software, we can expect to find out that iOS 18 will look like in June at WWDC 2024. That’s when the company typically shows off its upcoming software updates for iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, and Apple Watch, along with its Xcode development environment.