Jonathan Ive, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)’s lead product visionary, has taken the liberty of overhauling iOS 7 which may end up causing a delay in the release of the software.
He completely assumed oversight for the design of the software that all Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) products run when he took over Scott Forstall’s position as software chief last year. According to unnamed sources, he’s got off to a fast start by changing the iPhone and iPad applications. He’s also removing the “realistic” images (for example the wooden shelves for the newsstand) that gave Apple it’s unique look. There are also reports that he’s hoping to make more dramatic changes to some of the key tools like calendar and email.
In hopes to avoid what happened with last year’s map fiasco, Ive is carefully creating new designs. He’s also trying to get the software and hardware developers to collaborate.
Apple’s iOS 7 Delay?
The improvements and the design overhaul will most likely be a good thing for Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) but some people are concerned that it might delay the release. Sources report that Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is under a lot of pressure as time is running out.
Opus Research analyst Greg Sterling explained, “Apple is really under tremendous pressure to come out with something different and something new. [He has] a tremendous sense of design, and he’s been the guru behind a lot of these enormously successful products, but he’s always had someone like a Jobs to push back on him and give him some guidance, and it’s not clear that Tim Cook is capable of playing that role. Maybe without a collaborator, he’s not as strong.”
There is also the possibility that Apple’s next iOS won’t be as full of features as originally expected. Or Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) could reserve the new features for subsequent iOS versions. No matter what happens, Apple’s next iOS should meet or exceed consumer expectations.
