A quick summary of the features expected to emerge at WWDC

Jun 1, 2013 08:27 GMT  ·  By

In just 10 days from now Apple is expected to unveil iOS 7, the seventh major revision to its mobile operating system powering iPhones, iPad tablets and iPod touch players.

One of the key takeaways from a recent leak suggests the software will be much flatter and will have less pop. It will also lose much of the existing glare, which (currently) makes application icons look like candy.

Expect an iOS 7 that’s “black, white, and flat all over,” sources said.

The UI redesign will extend to the stock applications that ship with the software (Address Book, Passbook, Calendar, Weather, etc.), as well as to the app which Apple sells in the App Store (Podcasts, Cards, iBooks, etc.)

Their interfaces will reportedly be simpler and each app will be assigned a color theme to distinguish them much better. Apple’s WWDC 2013 icon is believed to hint at this change.

A quick-access settings panel is expected to make its debut. Much like we’ve seen in the dozens of iOS 7 concepts floating around, this panel could be accessed in a similar manner to Notification Center. Or it could be accessible right from the lock-screen.

Speaking of which, Notification Center itself will see some improvements, according to the same leak. It will reportedly lose the linen background and will get some other visual enhancements.

Panoramic wallpapers is also a great new feature to look forward to. Apple reportedly wants to give users a more comprehensive navigation of the iOS home screens, not to mention that it will look pretty cool too. Android users have been enjoying this feature for quite some time now.

A new Multitasking UI is said to arrive as well. Some believe it resembles the HTC app switcher, others see it as the same multitasking tray only with a few added enhancements.

Last, but not least, Apple will enhance the social ties in iOS 7 by adding Flickr and Vimeo sharing support.

While Apple will most certainly unveil iOS 7 at WWDC next week, there's a good chance the software won't ship until fall, when the company is said to unveil a new set of iDevices.