Don’t be fooled by ‘unrepresentative’ iOS 19 screenshots, leaker warns

Following the announcement Tuesday that an “incredible” WWDC 2025 event will run from June 9-13, Apple fans are rightfully excited to know more about the big software updates coming this year. As always, the biggest of all is iOS 19, the next major iteration of the iPhone’s operating system, and a number of screenshots making the rounds purport to show the visual changes and new features we can expect. But one pundit has warned that these are not representative and should be treated with caution.

Posting on X (formerly Twitter) Tuesday, the Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman, a reputable source of Apple intel, warned that, while exciting for Apple watchers, the iOS 19 images in circulation are not representative of what we will see at WWDC 2025.

“They look to be based on either very old builds or vague descriptions,” Gurman commented, “missing key features. Expect more from Apple in June.” He did not elaborate on what those key features might be.

To illustrate the point, Gurman made another post shortly afterward and included an old pre-announcement image of iOS 7, a software update that was famous for its dramatic and controversial revamp of iOS’s aesthetic. That was the year, readers may recall, when skeuomorphism died. But the leaked image still has the old quasi-realistic icons for apps such as Newsstand (wooden shelves), Camera (a camera lens), and Photos (a sunflower) rather than the more symbolic icons they would get by the time iOS 7 came out, and still have, with some tweaks and with the exception of the now-defunct Newsstand, to this day.

“This was a real iOS 7 image from six months prior to its announcement,” the writer explains. “Obviously the actual thing was very different.”

Gurman doesn’t specify any particular screenshots, but he’s probably talking about Jon Prosser. The leaker and YouTuber, having demonstrated a ‘mockup’ of the iOS 19 Camera app earlier this month, showed off what he claimed was a screenshot of iOS 19 Messages in the Genius Bar podcast on Tuesday, and was generally dismissive about the much-anticipated redesign across the OS. “Let me just say that I’m not impressed by the Home Screen,” Prosser said, arguing that iOS 19 does not and probably will not meet people’s high expectations. He also called out Gurman by name and claimed his predictions were faulty.

In fairness, Prosser does very briefly point out (in an alarmingly high voice, just before a sponsor break) that things “could be added” before launch, largely matching Gurman’s argument. But this is a single and rather sarcastically delivered line in what is otherwise an almost entirely negative analysis of the major disappointment that is iOS 19.

So turn that frown upside down, Jon! iOS 19 might still be great. We’ll find out in June when Apple showcases iOS 19, as well as iPadOS 19, macOS 16, and many more software updates. But until then, don’t get too caught up in screenshots or rumors—they might not tell the whole story.

Author: David Price, Editor, Macworld