This is Rumor Replay, a weekly column at 9to5Mac offering a quick rundown of the most recent Apple product rumors, with analysis and commentary. Today: iOS 19’s major redesign, hints of an iPhone 17 Ultra, HomePad delays, and more. Here are this week’s Apple rumors.
Major iOS 19 redesign coming
The biggest rumor of the week came from Mark Gurman, who reported that iOS 19, macOS 16, and Apple’s other software updates this year would come with major visual redesigns. These will seek to bring greater unity across the various platforms, and apparently visionOS’s design serves as inspiration. On iPhone, iOS 19 will reportedly be the biggest visual overhaul since iOS 7.
My takeaways
Rumors of big iOS redesigns seem to pop up every year, but with iOS 19 it seems different. Gurman comes with credibility that many Apple leakers don’t. While his report doesn’t have many specific details, I very much believe that we’ll see major visual changes at WWDC.
I wrote earlier today about how risky such a move is for Apple. I still think that’s true, and that the sort of changes we’ll see won’t actually match how dramatic a change iOS 7 was. That said, I’m very excited to see what Apple has in store and this rumor certainly has me very eager for WWDC to arrive.
iPhone 17 Ultra on the way?
One fascinating rumor this week claimed that the iPhone 17 Pro Max will be getting thicker this year for the sake of packing in additional battery life.
After a couple days of curiosity about this, I wrote a piece explaining how this rumor—along with a couple others—seems to point to Apple rebranding its Pro Max model this year as iPhone 17 Ultra.
My takeaways
It’s very possible that the iPhone 17 Pro Max’s differences have been overstated by rumors. But if the reports prove true, I still very much believe that iPhone 17 Ultra could be the perfect name for Apple’s new model. Apple Watch Ultra is intentionally thick and heavy for the sake of packing in extra battery life, and I can’t help but think this rumor points to Apple going Ultra with the iPhone this year too.
visionOS 3 will be ‘feature-packed’
Mark Gurman reported this week that at least one OS version this year will be especially rich with new features. He said Apple is planning a “feature-packed release” for visionOS 3, the next big Vision Pro update.
My takeaways
Though Gurman has no details to share at this point, hearing that visionOS 3 will be feature-packed is really encouraging. Apple could have taken its foot off the gas due to Vision Pro not exactly becoming a hit yet. But it’s great to hear the company remains focused on investing heavily into the Vision platform regardless of how many users it currently has.
Success with the Vision Pro will require making it the best possible product it can be. While there are hardware issues that need addressing—namely, weight—software can go a long way toward improving Vision Pro too.
More ‘HomePad’ delay news
Ming-Chi Kuo this week reiterated his prior claim that Apple’s new ‘HomePad’ smart display would not arrive until Q3 of this year. His reasoning: delays in software development that are related not only to Apple’s MIA Siri upgrades, but also building homeOS consistently with iOS 19’s coming redesign.
My takeaways
Even though Mark Gurman has mentioned the HomePad being delayed out of March, his reporting made it still seem likely that the device could launch this spring.
Hearing from Kuo that it won’t arrive until later in the year is a big disappointment, since HomePad is one of the products I’m most looking forward to this year. But if Apple needs more time to get the software right, it absolutely should take that time. No more pre-announcing things that aren’t anywhere near ready.
What are your takeaways from this week’s Apple rumors? Let us know in the comments.
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