14 DAY TRIAL // Apple’s next big software update for the iPhone is iOS 16, and according to the company’s typical release calendar, a preview should be offered at WWDC in the summer.
Needless to say, given it’s such a massive release, iOS 16 is expected to come with some pretty notable changes. And according to LeaksApplePro, one of them is likely to be support for interactive widgets.
iOS 16 could include a so-called InfoShack feature, which is essentially a new widget model that allows users to interact with it.
Just think of it this way: using the widget, you’d no longer have to open a media application but simply press the displayed controls to pause or play the music.
This is something that should have been there from the very beginning, but the current implementation leaves a lot to be desired. iOS widgets are static and don’t do much, but even so, Apple praises them on every occasion.
Windows Phone live tiles, anyone?
If you think you’ve seen interactive widgets before, this is an idea that Microsoft itself has also been looking into back in the days when Windows 10 Mobile was still a thing.
Microsoft’s mobile platform came with live tiles, which were in essence dynamic widgets on the home screen. And while live tiles could display information and updated content, such as the text in a new message, they lacked in the interaction coolness, with Microsoft trying out several ideas but never bringing any of them to the market.
It no looks like Apple is heading in that direction, as the iOS widgets could eventually become more lively in a way that makes them more useful for everybody out there.
It remains to be seen if this alleged leak ends up proving true, but for now, a certain amount of skepticism is without a doubt recommended.