Is This What iOS 7 Looks Like?

It’s no secret that Jony Ive has been leading the design of iOS 7, the newly redesigned iOS 7 is reportedly going to feature a flat user interface with none of the skeuomorphism that has been so prevalent in previous versions of iOS.  A screenshot leaked by SonnyDickson on Twitter, who has leaked information in the past as well, shows what appears to be an iPhone 4 or 4S running a version of iOS with flat icons.

While the photo itself is fairly blurry, iDownloadBlog took it upon themselves to recreate the icons (as seen above). Additionally, the site explained how they believe icons in iOS 7 will differ from those in previous versions.

Many app icons in current builds of iOS — including the App Store, Music, iTunes, Compass, Clock, Safari, and others — feature a layer of gloss, a translucent layer over part of the icon that makes it appear to “pop” with a three-dimensional effect. The purported new build of iOS, though, abandons this effect, giving all of Apple’s stock icons a unified, “flat” look.

You will also notice how some of the icons such as the Settings app have lost their borders, and the Weather app no longer has the static 73 degrees text on it.

If this photo is legitimate, it shows that “skeuomorphic” aesthetic — epitomized by things like the Calendar app’s faux stitched leather interface or the green felt table in Game Center — are clearly on their way out now that Ive has taken over the role of design chief for both hardware and software.

Or the photo could be the result of a jailbroken iPhone with some icon pack installed, there’s really no way to tell for certain at this point in time.

Either way, we’ll know more come next week when WWDC 2013 kicks off on June 10, where Apple is expected to announce the next version of iOS and OS X.