Apple iOS 6 Features Maps That Will ?Blow Your Head Off?; Leaked Photos of New App Surface

Apple's next operating system update, iOS 6, will emphasize 3-D technology when it comes to its map app. While this has yet to be officially confirmed, images leaked through BGR indicate its next operating system upgrade will see a revamped map app.

The tech news website says it has received images and information from an exclusive source close to the company. The new map app will include a refurbished user interface and a fresh navigation bar, BGR writes. This bar will be silver instead of blue, which implies that Apple may be shifting its color scheme in iOS 6.

The iPhone version of the app will include a floating locate me button, similar to Android's Google Maps app. Users can enable 3-D mode by peeling back the bottom right corner. After this is done, 3-D mode can be switched on and off by tapping an icon in the lower left corner, which can be seen in BGR's gallery. But the images are fuzzy, making it difficult to distinguish the upgraded features.

It's hard to gather much from the low-quality images, writes Andrew Webster of The Verge.

The Cupertino, Calif.-based company is now putting the final touches on its updated map app, which is being tested in build 10A3XX of iOS 6.

Rumors of Apple rolling out its own map app have been circulating since early May. Internally codenamed Sundance, it is said to blow your head off, according to AllThingsD.

However, while 3-D functionality sounds like an alluring feature, it may not be used on a regular basis as a map app is meant to be. TechCrunch's M.G. Siegler drew a comparison to illustrate his point.

Think of it like Google Street View-cool, but how often do you actually use it when compared to the regular Google Maps product? he asks.

Reports that surfaced earlier in May say that in addition to a renovated map app, Siri will finally make her way to the iPad with iOS 6, according to SlashGear. Cloud sharing will also play a crucial role in the upcoming Apple operating system, as developer Stephen Troughton-Smith revealed in a photo he tweeted on May 11. The image showed a beta login page for iCloud.com, which is Apple's suite of web applications used to access iCloud services such as Mail and Calendar.

Apple fans were able to get a preview of what icon-based navigation will be like for iCloud.com, which included the addition of Reminders and Notes icons, according to Mac Stories.

The world is sure to see more of what Apple has in store at its World Wide Developers Conference, which takes place June 11-15 in San Francisco.