Apple’s iPhone 16 Camera Button Inspires Realme’s New Feature, Not Part of Realme GT 7 Pro

Highlights

• Realme showcased a camera button feature similar to the iPhone 16 camera button.
• Apple launched the iPhone 16 series with a new touch-sensitive camera button.
• Realme’s camera button operates much like the Apple button.

Apple recently launched its iPhone 16 series during the September 9, “It’s Glowtime” Event. While overall reactions to the launch event and the latest iPhones have been mixed from all corners, there were some new iPhone features that caught everyone’s attention. The new Camera Button was one such feature.

Now it appears even before users could get their hands on the new iPhones, scheduled to arrive on September 20, other competitive smartphone makers have started taking notes.

Chinese smartphone maker Realme is the first one to go on quick action mode, revealing a similar (or should we say clone) feature.

Realme’s Vice President, Chase Xu, recently shared a video on Weibo. In the video, he can be seen holding an unrecognisable Realme phone. Though what actually was the purpose of the video was to demonstrate a camera button positioned exactly where it is on the iPhone 16.

Posting the video, Chase Xu wrote, “We seem to have solid-state button technology, do you want it?” (Translated from Chinese to English via Google Translate)

This could mean two things. One could be that Realme has quickly followed Apple’s lead in offering a similar feature. Or the could be that a similar feature was already in the works at Realme, which seems rather unlikely given Realme’s history of picking features.

Is Apple the Trendsetter in the Smartphone Industry?

Anyhow, sharing this video, what Realme actually demonstrated is how Apple’s innovations continue to shape industry trends.

Note that Apple isn’t always the first to introduce new features. We cannot deny how many Apple firsts later turn them into industry standards.

A good example is the iPhone X’s notch. The feature at first was met with criticism. However, it was soon adopted by many Android manufacturers as well.

Now, can we expect the Apple’s iPhone 16 camera button to be the next trendsetter?

Also, we can’t exactly say that physical camera buttons are something entirely new. Sony has included them in some of its phones for years.

However, what’s interesting is that Apple’s version is different.

The iPhone 16’s camera button is touch-sensitive and provides tactile feedback. It makes clicking photos look easier and intuitive. This button allows users to control focus and zoom smoothly. This can be a great added feature for a hands-on photography experience.

Realme Taking Inspiration From Apple?

In Xu’s video, we can see Realme’s version of the camera button operates much like the Apple button. It is positioned similarly. Users can adjust focus and zoom with a simple press. It also provides the same tactile response that Apple’s version provides.

Realme has a history of taking inspiration from Apple devices.

Last year, the company launched the Realme C55 with a feature called Mini Capsule.

Users were quick to find similarities with Apple’s Dynamic Island.

However, Realme’s Mini Capsule doesn’t have the same level of functionality. It only mimics the design from Apple. It shows notifications around the selfie camera in a similar way.

Smartphone makers from China such as Realme, Xiaomi, and Huawei are especially quick at adopting trends whether it is an Apple feature or any other feature gaining momentum in the international market.

There’s no word yet on which Realme model the recently demonstrated Camera Button will feature in.

It will be interesting to see if dedicated Camera Buttons on smartphones become the next big thing.

Realme’s next big release is GT 7 Pro, which won’t include the camera button as we know it.

While we wait for more information on the Realme camera button, we can guess it to make an appearance in some midrange or budget Realme phones, following the trend of Mini Capsule.

iPhone 16 Key Spec