Michal Ždanský In one of the server threads Branch.com well-known Apple journalists who are known to have good sources directly from within the company were interviewed: John Gruber, MG Siegler (TechCrunch.com) and more. Although the discussion started with rumors about the sale of a new iPhone in the summer, talk also came about the expected iOS 7 operating system.
The first interesting statement from John Gruber relates directly to the development of the new iOS:
From what I've heard: iOS 7 development is behind and engineers have been pulled from OS X 10.9 development to work on it.
The fact that the development is behind will probably not affect the presentation of the new iPhone (5S?). Interestingly, though, pulling engineers away from Mac OS development in favor of iOS is nothing new at Apple. Work on the first version of iOS, which together with the first iPhone was supposed to change the mobile phone market, also required a delay in the release of the operating system OS 10.5 Leopard. Engineers working on the fifth version of the operating system were moved to Project Purple, which was the codename for the iPhone.
John Gruber further revealed what he heard regarding the alleged iOS redesign:
Regarding [Jony] Ivo: It is said that iOS engineers who have the privilege of carrying a phone with the new OS have all sorts of polarizing filters on their iPhone displays to greatly reduce viewing angles. This makes it more difficult for observers to see a significant UI revision.
A significant redesign is not a new rumor, it has been circulating since Scott Forstall was fired from the company and its powers were split between Jony Ive and Craig Federighi, with Ive in charge of operating system design. A generally "flatter" form is expected from iOS 7, which will correspond with the industrial design of iOS products and will mark a significant departure from the skeuomorphism that Forstall (and also Steve Jobs) liked. As for polarizing filters on iPhone displays, that's no big surprise either. When the first iPhone was being developed, software developers didn't even have a remote prototype of the device at their disposal, but a kind of box with a display.
As for the iPhone itself, which is expected to be unveiled a few months after the launch of iOS 7 at WWDC 2013, MG Siegler adds:
Speaking of whispers, one thing I've heard several times is that there will be some kind of biometric scanner in the new iPhone. That's probably not surprising given the AuthenTec purchase - but I'd be surprised if it was this soon. However, I've heard that it might not only be part of authentication, but also some type of payment (perhaps via Passbook). And the most interesting rumor: Apple might want developers to pay for its use.
Added Matthew Panzarino, Editor-in-Chief The Next Web, following:
I had heard from sources about the use of biometrics for payments (as well as for identification) before it was discussed in the context of the purchase of AuthenTec. We also think the purchase was a time-sensitive deal because Apple wanted those sensors quickly. A year before the acquisition (and a year and a half before Apple started dealing with AuthenTec in the second half of 2011) seems like plenty of time for deployment.
The rumor about the deployment of biometric sensors in the iPhone is certainly not new and company acquisition AuthenTec is a clear indication that Apple is looking in that direction. According to the diary, we can release the new generation of iPhone Wall Street Journal expected already in the summer, i.e. probably before the holidays. Apple chose this term even before the release of the iPhone 4S, which started a new tradition of introducing the phone after the summer holidays. If he has WSJ true, Apple would introduce the new iPhone at WWDC 2013.
In recent years, WWDC has been dedicated to introducing new software, however, according to the statement above, OS X 10.9 could be delayed due to iOS 7, so Apple would have nothing to show apart from the new version of the mobile operating system, and combining its launch with the launch of the iPhone seems logical.
