Major iOS 19 Overhaul: Apple Plans Full iPhone Redesign

Apple has showcased heaps of hardware in the last couple of weeks, but evidently, a significant revamp on the software front is being planned for later this year. The Bloomberg report now anticipates that this fall, when the iPhone, iPad, and Mac will be receiving updates from Apple, the operating systems will undergo major changes. It will aim for a much more unified experience across Apple’s software platforms.

According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, iOS 19 and iPadOS 19, with the internal code name ‘Luck’ and, macOS 16, which goes under the code name ‘Cheer,’ will change the look of most design elements. The elements include icons, menus, apps, windows, system buttons, and so on.

This redesign is believed to be the biggest change for the iPhone since the introduction of iOS 7 and for the Mac since the release of Big Sur. The common underlying theme would be coherence between Apple’s highly divergent operating systems. 

Right now, the look and feel of iPhones, Macs, and Vision Pros are quite diverse, and Apple aims to develop a more uniform user experience for all computing devices. The new design is expected to take a cue from visionOS. 

Led by Alan Dye, Apple’s Vice President of Design, the program is said to have begun under him at the behest of former chief designer Jony Ive as a contribution toward developing iOS 7 and watchOS. 

Besides aiding the development of a more integrated device ecosystem, this radical design change might also serve as a distraction from Apple’s troubles on the AI front. Just last week, a delay was announced for the AI-enhanced upgrade of Siri, which was supposed to come with the release of iOS 18.4. Now that the concentration seems away from any AI development, all hands will be on deck for Apple’s iOS 19, iPadOS 19, and macOS 16 redesigns at the World Wide Developers Conference, aka WWDC, this June of 2025.