iOS 7 Running Behind, Rumored to Have Significant Visual MakeoverIn a Branch chat, which at the time of this writing is still going on, Daring Fireball's Jon Gruber says that, according to what he's heard, iOS 7 is running behind schedule and that it will bring a significant user interface (UI) refresh. What I've heard: iOS 7 is running behind, and engineers have been pulled from OS X 10.9 to work on it. (Let me know if you've heard this song before.)Gruber went on to say that he's heard that iOS 7 is a "significant system-wide UI overhaul" and that iOS engineers that are allowed to carry around devices with iOS 7 on them have a special privacy filter on their devices that reduces viewing angles. Back in 2007, Apple delayed the release of OS X Leopard to concentrate work on iPhone. Gruber hints that this could be the case with Mac OS X 10.9 and iOS 7. iMore's Rene Ritchie follows up Gruber's comments, saying that he's heard that Ive's work with iOS 7 is "making many people really happy, but will also apparently make rich-texture-loving designers sad." His comments come during a Branch talk that includes Gruber, Ritchie, TechCrunch's MG Siegler, Engadget's Tim Stevens, The Next Web's Matthew Panzarino and more. Ritchie follows up his earlier predictions, noting that he's heard that an event for a new, 9.7-inch iPad is or was planned for April, but that it is contingent upon the new iPad being ready for release. He also notes that he's hearing the iPhone 5S will arrive in August, although Ritchie also says that it could be a July/August window rather than a specific month. As for what could be on the iPhone 5S, both Siegler and Panzarino say they've heard a lot about biometrics on the new device. The feature would apparently be used for payments and identification. Panzarino notes that it wouldn't be surprising to see AuthenTec's biometric technology in Apple devices so soon after Apple purchased the company last July because of the urgency of the deal. Finally, Siegler says he's heard "a whisper" that Apple's Passbook team is due for a shakeup and is in "shambles," though Ritchie points out that Forstall's departure could be the reason for the Passbook team's troubles. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories • Wacom Releases New 1.85-Inch Bamboo Stylus Mini • 500px Updated with Performance Enhancements and Flow for iPad • Firefox 20 for Mac Adds Download Manager and New Private Browsing Features • Apple Slashes Prices on iPhone 4/4S by 15-25% in Brazil • A Roundup of Upcoming Games from GDC and Pax East • Apple Issues First Beta of OS X 10.8.4 to AppleSeed Members • Feedly Updated with Improved Search and New 'Must Read' Section • Denial of Service Prank Crashing iMessage App for Targeted Developers
http://www.macrumors.com/2013/04/02/ios-7-running-behind-rumored-to-have-significant-visual-makeover/
