We’ve had some pretty decent insight into iOS 8 of late, and with this year’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC 2014) kicking off in early June, it has also been reported that internal testing is being ramped up in anticipation for the beta roll-out. Now, images of an iPhone 5s supposedly running the forthcoming software have leaked into the wild, and although there’s no way of telling whether or not we’re looking at the real deal or a nifty bit of fakery, the pixelated nature of the snaps suggest the latter.
Having sorted out the appearance of its mobile operating system with the release of the radically-overhauled iOS 7, it’s looking likely that the Cupertino outfit will be focusing its efforts on updating and improving the range of stock applications this time around. As well as affording iTunes Radio a sense of identity by treating it to a dedicated home screen icon, it also seems like Apple will include an all-new Healthbook app, allowing fitness fanatics to log their stats and progress using a neatly-arranged, card-like interface.
There have been a couple of sightings of iOS 8 showing up via analytic data, but aside from one or two mock-ups, we haven’t really seen any plausible shots of the new OS in action. Now, though, snaps leaked via Phone Arena purportedly depict iOS 8 gracing the iPhone 5s, and although we’re rather skeptical of this ‘discovery,’ it is in-keeping with recent reports.
Even though, with the incessant talk of new Apple hardware, the fruit company is unlikely to put any of those rumors to rest at WWDC, the likes of OS X 10.10 and iOS 8 will almost certainly be documented in great detail. One or two tidbits will likely be held back until the release, which should coincide with new at least one new iPhone later on in the year, but by early June, we should have a fairly good idea of what to expect software-wise.
From what we have gathered, Healthbook will serve as the most significant feature, allowing Apple to finally tap into a lucrative market that turns over trillions of dollars each year. Whether or not Healthbook’s introduction will come hand-in-hand with the elusive “iWatch” is anyone’s guess, but for now, it does look as though iOS 8 is well on its way to being ready in time for WWDC.
Here are a couple of more sketchy shots of iOS 8 running on an iPhone and iPad:
What do you think? Genuine or fake? We’re going with the latter.
(Source: PhoneArena)
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