Apple’s about to blow up your muscle memory in the best possible way. After years of playing it safe with minor tweaks, Cupertino is rolling out the biggest software redesign since it ditched skeuomorphism back in 2013.
The changes hit every Apple device you own—iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and that Apple TV you forgot was smart. This isn’t your typical “we moved some buttons around” update. We’re talking complete visual overhaul that makes Google’s Material You look conservative.
Glass Houses and Broken Conventions
Apple’s calling this internal project “Solarium“—you know, those fancy glass rooms rich people have. The name isn’t accidental. Think more liberal use of transparency, glass-like materials, and navigation changes that make your current interface look prehistoric.
Your Control Center will float like translucent glass above your wallpaper, and widgets will feel like those AR beauty filters everyone’s obsessed with—except useful. It’s Apple taking the Vision Pro’s spatial computing principles and cramming them into devices that actually fit in your pocket.
Apple TV Finally Gets Some Love
Here’s the kicker: Apple TV’s interface hasn’t changed meaningfully since 2015. That’s a decade of the same tired grid while every other streaming device evolved. Users have been dealing with confusing navigation hierarchies and terrible content discovery that makes finding anything feel like archaeological work.
Apple’s fixing that oversight with depth effects and ambient lighting adaptation that’ll make your current tvOS look like a Windows 95 screensaver. Smart move, considering how many people ditched Apple TV for more intuitive alternatives like Roku or Google TV.
Your Apple Watch Gets the Treatment Too
Don’t expect watchOS to get the full makeover—Apple’s keeping changes “here and there” rather than going nuclear. Smart call, since the watch screen is smaller than a Post-it note. But you’ll still see new fonts, colors, and effects that make navigation feel more intuitive, and you might even discover Apple watch features you’re probably not using.
The real prize? Apple Intelligence features that use your paired iPhone to deliver AI coaching and insights. Finally, a reason to care about that health data beyond bragging rights.
The Ecosystem Play
This is Apple’s answer to Google’s cohesive Material You design system and Samsung’s One UI refinements. While competitors focused on customization, Apple’s betting on consistency across every device you own—something they’ve talked about for years but never fully delivered.
After watching Google make UI moves and Samsung push design boundaries, Apple’s finally ready to shake things up with innovations like Apple’s mind control tech—a partnership with Synchron, enabling users with motor impairments to navigate devices using only their thoughts.
Mark your calendar for June 9—that’s when we’ll see if Apple’s glasshouse vision is revolutionary or just another way to make last year’s iPhone feel obsolete.
Either way, your muscle memory is about to get expensive.
