If this is going to be the UI of the next iPhone (5?) then it definitely is something that resembles a lot to Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7 UI. Not that it’s bad to get inspiration from a great UI design but just that to file a patent in your name claiming it to be your own design is something that is not so peculiar to Apple but yet this latest patent filed by Apple detailing a new UI design for it’s next generation of iDevices (iPhone, iPod touch and iPad) is a testament that WP7’s UI is awesome!

Apple calls this new UI the “Radial Menus” and this is how it will look like once it’s integrated into iOS:

iPhone-radial-menus 
(Image from UnwiredView)

Let’s start from the bottom menu bar and compare it with the WP7 UI:

iPhone_radial_menu_buttons

Do you see the resemblance between what this patent claims to be Apple’s invention and this:

windows_phone_7_ui

Even though the buttons do not match but still the feel and the concept is all the same, right?

Now the radial buttons concept in this Apple’s UI patent also looks a lot familiar right? Because you already saw it on Windows Phone 7 UI!

We are still not sure whether Apple is going to use it in iPhone 5 but if it’s going to be integrated into iOS then it has to be the next UI for iPad and iPod touch too. (Thanks UnwiredView)