iOS 7 to Come With Significant UI Improvements, Running Behind Schedule

John Gruber of Daring Fireball, Rene Richie of iMore, MG Siegler of TechCrunch, Tim Stevens of Engadget, Matthew Panzarino of The Next Web and others had an interesting discussion about iOS 7, the next generation mobile operating system for the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch on Branch.
Here are some of the highlights:
iOS 7:

• iOS 7 will come with significant systemwide UI improvements.
• It is currently running late and Apple is apparently pulling engineers from OS X 10.9 and other non-profit generating projects to work on it.
• Jony Ive, Apple’s design chief who also provides leadership and direction for Human Interface software teams across the company after Scott Forstall’s departure seems to already making his influence felt.
• It will make rich texture loving designers sad, but apparently people at Apple are really happy with the work. We’ve previously heard that Ive has beenpushing for more “flat design” that is starker and simpler.
• Apple engineers who have iOS 7 installed on their iPhones apparently have some sort of polarizing filter that decreases the viewing angles, to make it difficult for someone to accidentally get a glimpse of the UI improvements.
• Apple is likely to give us a glimpse of iOS 7 at the Worldwide Developer Conference 2013, which usually takes place in June.

New Hardware:

• Apple may have an event in April or May to launch the next generation iPad mini and full-sized iPadwith iPad mini like design.
• Apple is also gearing up to launch iPhone 5S in July or August.
• The new iPhone may come with a biometric scanner, which could be used for identification and payments.

Siegler also notes that the Passbook team is currently in shambles and is being restructured possibility due to the exit of Scott Forstall.
As I’ve said previously, though Apple has added tons of new features in iOS with every major update, it hasn’t made any major improvements in the UI, it is looking outdated and it is high time Apple re-imagines the user interface in iOS 7. It’s good to hear that we’re going to finally see significant systemwide UI improvements in iOS 7.
I can’t wait to get a glimpse of iOS 7. What about you?