OK, so homescreen widgets are still relatively new to Apple's mobile devices. We first saw widgets on iOS 14 back in 2020 and they only arrived on iPadOS just last year — in 2021. We kind of thought that's it — Apple added widgets (a bit late to the party) and is moving on to other things. However, a new iOS 16 leak shows that we are maybe not done.Twitter handle @LeaksApplePro has showed a screengrab of a new feature, which Apple allegedly calls "InfoShack" internally. It's a sort of a "mega widget", which can house a few "normal widgets" within it. It appears that InfoShack is highly customizable, allowing you to put Control Center toggles in it, quick call options, map in-app functions to it (like a quick start / stop of stopwatch), or start navigation.EXCLUSIVE: iOS 16.
Be prepared for interactive widgets! Apple is now working on these “big widgets” internally named InfoShack.
Will tell you more about them soon. pic.twitter.com/GZF9zYjOsw
Now, users were quick to point out that the picture shows that this alleged build of iOS 16 has macOS Monterey icons. However, this doesn't make the leak sus — macOS Monterey came with a new set of icons that look nothing like what iPhones have right now. It's very possible that Apple might move to consolidate the look across its operating systems and have iOS 16 fall more in line with the macOS icon designs.
However, a deeper look shows us that the Apple TV remote toggle in one of the mega widgets is also... wrong. It is very different than the one that's currently on iOS — OK, fine — but it's completely different from the actual Apple TV remote, too. It would be weird if Apple decided to redesign this particular icon, especially since it currently looks exactly like the real remote, and it's just right. Unless there's a new Apple TV with a new remote on the way?
That could send me down a whole different rabbit hole of speculation. But the bottom line is — take this leak with a grain of salt. The leakster does promise more info "soon". If they do follow through — it should become progressively easier to discern if these leaks are legit or extremely suspicious.
We should see what Apple plans for iOS 16 at WWDC 2022, which should be held around June of 2022, if Apple follows its annual schedule. And those that are brave enough will be able to test it out in beta way before its release, too. Apple usually launches a developer beta of its latest iOS as soon as it introduces it at WWDC. About a week later, there's a public beta, which is a bit more stable and is accessible to anyone willing to try it.
When will iOS 16 arrive?
As usual, we expect iOS 16 to be pushed out when Apple released the iPhone 14 series this year. That usually happens in late September. However, as mentioned above, you should be able to participate in the public beta as early as this Summer, as long as you are feeling adventurous.Which iPhones will get iOS 16?
As per rumors (and educated guessing, based on Apple's update history), iOS 16 should be available for iPhones all the way down to the iPhone 7:
- All iPhone 14 models
- All iPhone 13 models
- All iPhone 12 models
- iPhone SE 2020
- All iPhone 11 models
- iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max
- iPhone X and iPhone XR
- iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus
- iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus
The iPads expected to support the iPadOS 16 are:
- iPad Pro (2021)
- iPad Pro (2020)
- iPad Pro (2018)
- iPad Pro 12.9 (2017)
- iPad Pro 10.5-inch
- iPad Pro 9.7-inch
- iPad Air 4
- iPad Air 3
- iPad 9
- iPad 8
- iPad 7
- iPad 6
- iPad Mini 6
- iPad Mini 5
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