Recently, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman participated in a live Q&A session where he fielded a range of queries regarding Apple. Here’s what he disclosed about the exciting new design of iOS 19.
Key design themes feature consistency, a ‘glass effect,’ and enhanced usability
Mark Gurman has often discussed the new design for iOS 19, although primarily through his official writings at Bloomberg. A few days ago, however, he had a chance to share insights more casually during a call.
According to the official transcript, he was asked about the significance of the major redesign he has reported on: “What makes it so significant?”
Here are his insights:
The key aspect of this redesign is the uniformity in controls, icons, buttons, and user interface dynamics across iOS and macOS. While the interfaces of iPad, Mac, and iPhone share many similarities, they also exhibit numerous differences.
Elements like hamburger menus, menu buttons, and application closing buttons, as well as how the dock appears and functions, have considerable variations across the OS. Thus, the goal is to infuse consistency. We’re looking at adding glassy effects to the user interface and reconfiguring certain applications to cater to a new generation of users, making operations more comprehensible and creating a unified experience across devices. So anticipate some substantial changes. While it may take time to adjust, I believe that ultimately users will appreciate it.
Next, Gurman was asked whether every Apple app will undergo these design changes or if only some will be updated.
His reply was:
While I can’t speak for every app, I think for the core applications, the user interface elements will likely be updated to align more closely with visionOS, ensuring a consistent look and feel across both platforms, with those glass effects integrated throughout the user interface.
He concluded his insights on iOS 19 by highlighting the expected impact of these changes:
I believe this will be the most significant redesign to iOS since iOS 7 was introduced over a decade ago in 2013. So, expect considerable differences, right? The new glass effect is something I find particularly interesting and visually appealing.
Insights from DMN
Describing the impact of visual updates in iOS can be challenging when you can’t visually demonstrate what you’ve seen. However, several of Gurman’s insights are noteworthy, particularly the elements he emphasizes.
For instance, his repeated mentions and commendations of a “new glass effect.” It seems possible that these UI elements could respond to users’ movements while holding the iPhone, much like how tvOS and visionOS function. This would be a transformation difficult to capture in a screenshot, even with commissioned mockups.
What are your thoughts on Gurman’s insights regarding the iOS 19 design? How do you feel about the rumored redesign as a whole? We welcome your opinions in the comments.
