Well surprise, surprise, it looks like Google might be planning yet another redesign of one of its major services. Less than a week after changes to Google+’s design interface were rolled out, reports have emerged that Gmail (yes, again) is next in line for a makeover.

Several tech blogs – including The Next Web and Android Police – have published screenshots over the weekend of what looks to be a new Android client for Google’s email service, while later reports added that the update is likely to be expanded to the iOS and web versions of Gmail as well.

The first indication that Gmail was about to be updated actually came last week, when possible changes were hinted at during the Google I/O conference. First to spot them was the AndroidAuthority website, which published screenshots that allegedly depicted a new desktop interface for Gmail, alongside a matching app menu. Android Police later reported that the changes are real, and will be unveiled next Wednesday with an announcement on the Gmail blog.

Going by the images, the biggest change seems to be the inclusion of various new tabs that automatically categorize incoming emails, slotting them into their respective tabs. These categories include Primary, Social, Updates, Forums and Promotions, though we can’t say if these tabs will be compulsory with all users or customizable. Instead of the tabs, the Android and iOS versions will include a new menu that allows users to access the aforementioned categories.

Android Police says that the ‘tabs’ seem to be somewhat similar to Lab’s “SmartLabels” function, and wonders if Google may just be trying to graduate this to Gmail.

We won’t find out if the rumors are true until later this week at the earliest, but given that three sources are verifying them, it’s safe to assume that they are. Whether or not Gmail users will appreciate Google dishing out yet another update remains to be seen – many users are still only just getting to grips with the new compose feature, and of course, Gmail wasn’t exactly broken in the first place, so why do they keep on trying to fix it? Those who maintain super-cluttered inboxes or anyone with an obsession for keeping things organized will probably appreciate the changes however.

As to when we can expect to see the new features, that remains to be seen. Android Police says that they probably won’t be rolled out until “later this year”, while The Next Web suggests we could see them within “two to three weeks”.

*Images via Android Police