Apple recently unveiled its iPhone 16 series, and while reactions have been mixed, one feature has stood out: the new camera button. Many Apple users have praised this addition, and it has quickly caught the attention of competitors. In fact, Chinese smartphone maker Realme has already introduced a similar camera button in one of its upcoming models, showing how Apple’s innovations continue to set industry trends.
Realme Copies iPhone 16’s Camera Button
Although Apple isn’t always the first to introduce new features, it has a knack for turning them into industry standards. We saw this with the iPhone X’s notch, which was initially criticized but soon copied by many Android manufacturers. Now, Apple’s new iPhone 16 camera button seems to be the next trendsetter.
Recently, Realme’s Vice President, Chase Xu, shared a video on the Chinese platform Weibo that revealed an upcoming Realme phone. The most noticeable feature in the video? A camera button, placed exactly where it is on the iPhone 16. This suggests that Realme has quickly jumped on board to offer a similar feature in its devices.
Camera buttons aren’t entirely new to smartphones—Sony, for example, still includes physical camera buttons in some of its models. But Apple’s version is different. The iPhone 16’s camera button is touch-sensitive, offering tactile feedback that makes using the camera smoother and more intuitive. It allows users to control focus and zoom effortlessly, adding a more hands-on feel to photography.
In the video shared by Xu, Realme’s version of the button works much like Apple’s. Positioned in the same place, it allows users to adjust focus and zoom with just a press, providing the same tactile response Apple introduced. Though Realme has not shared many details about this phone, it’s expected to be part of their upcoming flagship lineup.
Apple’s Influence on the Smartphone Industry
Apple has always been a trendsetter in the smartphone world. Even when it doesn’t introduce a feature first, it often popularizes it. Take multi-camera phones, for example. HTC was the first to introduce a phone with multiple cameras, but it wasn’t until the iPhone 7 that multi-camera setups became widely popular. We can say the same for the iPhone 6’s sleek design, which we saw before on HTC phones, but became iconic only after Apple adopted it.
Gizchina News of the week
The notch is another great example. When Apple introduced it on the iPhone X, many people disliked it. But within months, Android manufacturers started copying it, and soon, the notch became a standard feature in smartphones.
Now, with the iPhone 16, Apple is setting the stage for another trend—the tactile camera button. This button not only improves the user experience by making photo-taking easier but also adds a physical interaction that many users find satisfying. It allows users to quickly focus or zoom in on subjects without having to navigate through complicated on-screen controls.
Realme’s Fast Response
Realme’s quick adoption of the iPhone 16’s camera button shows how fast the smartphone industry responds to Apple’s innovations. This is especially true in China, where companies like Realme, Xiaomi, and Huawei often follow Apple’s lead in record time. Realme’s decision to include a similar camera button in its upcoming model highlights its desire to remain competitive in a rapidly changing market.
While we don’t know much about the new Realme model yet, industry experts believe the camera button will be a major feature in one of their next flagship devices. Realme has built a reputation for offering quality smartphones at affordable prices, and adding this new camera button could give it an edge in the market.
Is the Camera Button the Next Big Thing?
As Apple continues to influence smartphone design, a big question remains: Will the tactile camera button become as popular as the notch or the multi-camera setup? Only time will tell if this feature will be widely adopted by other manufacturers or if it will remain unique to the iPhone 16.
What’s your take? Do you think the camera button is a handy feature that deserves to be copied by other smartphone makers? Or is it just a temporary trend? Let us know your thoughts!
In the fast-paced world of smartphones, features like these can become defining aspects of a product. Whether or not it’s copied by others, Apple’s new camera button shows once again how one company’s innovation can ripple across the industry, shaping the future of mobile technology.