It is being reported that the next version of iTunes – the most popular media player on Windows and Mac – will come with a completely overhauled user-interface as well as deep iCloud integration.
The news comes from our friends over at iDownloadBlog who state that they are hearing that iTunes 11 will have a completely different UI and “better” iCloud integration; no information regarding the source has been mentioned.
Currently at version 10.4 (last public release), iTunes’ has been carrying the same overall link since the original version of iTunes. Since then, many modern, better-looking and more powerful media players have emerged (Zune being one example) so it is high-time that Apple overhauled the UI.
While there are arguably alternatives to it, most users are forced to use iTunes because of their their iOS device’s dependence on the App Store which is available on the desktop only from within iTunes.
The new UI will be cleaner than the current one and the iTunes Store will not, according to iDB, be just a contained web browser anymore. Instead, it will instead be integrated properly into iTunes so it doesn’t feel disjointed.
From iDB:
It’s no secret that iTunes is due for a UI upgrade, and this should come true with the release of iTunes 11. A reliable source of ours has stated that iTunes 11, the next major update to iTunes, will be revamped from the ground up.
The basic layout of the iTunes UI hasn’t changed since the first version. This new update will have a completely different UI and better iCloud integration.From what we’re hearing, the UI would be much more cleaner and “slick.” iCloud is also going to be more closely integrated with iTunes. Rather than the iTunes Store being essentially a web browser, the Store will actually be integrated into the entire app— much like Spotify is currently.
Over the years, because of the addition of more features and support for an ever-increasing number of devices, iTunes really has become bloated. A new UI along with zippier performance would certainly be a welcome change.
An older version of iTunes (below) compared to its latest version
iDB also states that the iCloud integration will be quite deep. Deep enough so that if your iOS device is set up with iCloud – which in turn, is connected with iTunes – then whenever you make changes on your device, those changes will be synced to iCloud and then to iTunes on your personal computer.
Although no rumored release date has been given, we personally expect it to be launched alongside iOS 5 this fall.
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