The first image of Apple's overhauled iOS 7 appears to have leaked onto the internet.
Though it's more than a little blurry and low resolution, the image uploaded by iDownloadBlog appears to be genuine. Having said that, 9to5Mac claims that this is simply a very early version of the new iPhone and iPad OS, and that "things have changed a lot since this was taken."
The picture seems to show off the new iOS version's home screen, which has taken on a slightly simpler and - yes - flatter appearance.
Whilst it doesn't show the radical overhaul some had hoped for and predicted, it does offer some hints as to the general shift Jony Ive's team has planned.
Stock app icons (such as for email, Safari, and Music) appear to have been cleaned up and unified, with a more consistent design language across each of them. Also noted is the lack of any 'real world' effects, such as gloss and other textural touches.
You'll note that the Settings icon no longer has a border, which is another sign that Apple is aiming for consistency across iOS 7.
Also noteworthy is the launch of this year's official WWDC app, which appears to reflect the subtle shift to a flatter and plainer design.
Overall, this early glimpse at iOS 7 appears to be a world away from the large square live tiles of Windows Phone, which some previous predictions pointed to as a reference point for the new iOS design. But really, anyone expecting wholesale changes from Apple evidently doesn't know Apple very well.
Now find out which iOS features Apple needs to catch Android.
