Apple has been a trendsetter in the smartphone industry for nearly two decades for better or for worse. (Looking at you 3.5mm jack.) So it's no surprise that the newly the new camera control button debuting on the iPhone 16 this week is already inspiring a number of copycats.
Three different Chinese Android smartphone manufacturers announced plans or revealed versions of the shutter button that will appear on forthcoming handsets.
The party got started late last week when Ni Fei, the president of Nubia, announced on Weibo that the company's next Z70 Ultra smartphone would feature a "more realistic camera button." In a previous post, replying to the regular leaker Digital Chat Station, Fei confirmed that the phone would also have two-stage shutter function, which allows you to focus with a half-click and then take the photo with a full press.
Apple's Camera Control button stands out by including support for swipe gestures that let you change photo setting menus or zoom in on your subject. We don't know yet if Nubia or Oppo will offer similar features with their dedicated camera buttons. For now, it appears their buttons are mostly shutter controls.
Meanwhile, Realme showed off a video on Weibo this week of a new camera button on an unnamed Realme phone that actually appears to extremely similar to Apple's design. In the video, you can see the Realme employee swiping on the key to zoom in on distant skyscrapers. Later, he taps the button to take a picture. I don't know if their version has the two-stage controls, but I would not be surprised if that feature is forthcoming as well.
Additionally, Realme has a habit of showing off tech they're working on that doesn't always launch. Recently, the company showed off a 320W charger that can refill a smartphone battery in less than five minutes. It isn't on any phones and so far, and there haven't been announcements of its imminent arrival. Previously, Realme duplicated Apple's MagSafe feature, but hasn't actually released it anywhere.
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