The official name is rumored to be Yosemite or El Cap (short for El Capitan)

Jun 2, 2014 09:17 GMT  ·  By

While iOS 8 is said to deliver a bevy of new features and enhancements, OS X 10.10 will be a much more modest upgrade, according to people familiar with Apple’s plans. These people say the new Mac OS focuses on design and includes few new additions.

Sources with a proven track record are telling 9to5mac that OS X 10.10 will focus on user-interface design, with Apple “taking the iOS 7 design direction full-steam to OS X.”

Codenamed Syrah internally, the new OS will be marketed either as OS X Yosemite or OS X El Cap, according to leaked images from Moscone West, where the Worldwide Developers Conference will be hosted.

According to the people who have either seen the software or at least have talked to engineers working on it, the new interface will sport “similar toggle designs to iOS 7, sharper window corners, more defined icons across the system, and more white space than the current version.”

Finder and Mission Control will stay in place, as will many other desktop-specific features. Apple reportedly isn’t trying to create a hybrid OS, but rather maintain design consistency across its platforms.

Case in point, OS X 10.10 is said to be “extremely flat,” something that may be met with criticism from the masses, as evidenced by the minor backlash surrounding the iOS 7 debut. Nevertheless, people are expected to get accustomed to the new look much faster, considering that they’re already familiar with the design direction.

A mockup has been created to match the descriptions provided by sources. Displayed at the top of this article, the image reportedly reflects what apps like Calendar and Messages will look like. The Dock is visibly flatter and more minimalistic, though it appears to waste a lot of space on the sides (something Apple undoubtedly will not want from OS X 10.10).

The California tech titan is also preparing a new developer toolset to aid programmers. Allowing application makers to create software right inside OS X 10.10, Xcode 6 will reportedly bring much improved iOS simulation. Updated areas will include handling resolutions and scaling, to support the bigger iPhone 6 display.

New iCloud storage tools are also said to be in the works for developers, and there’s a chance OS X 10.10 will be announced alongside some new Macs, including a MacBook Air with an enhanced trackpad, cheaper iMacs, and/or processor bumps across the board.