Hate it or love it, Apple is one of the big trendsetters in the smartphone space. Considering that they’re essentially the reason behind the modern touchscreen smartphone, it’s not an unjust position for them to be in, if we’re keeping it a buck.
However, Apple does certainly have a love for introducing features with analogs that can be found in older Android devices, and presenting it like a revolutionary new invention. The Camera Control on the iPhone 16 series might be like that, though Apple approached it a bit different. It looks like it still going to start a camera button renaissance regardless.
Android Isn’t New To The Magic Of A Separate Shutter Button; Some Are Still Doing It
For those who like to take a lot of photos with their smartphones, especially in landscape orientation, having a camera button can make taking great, blur-free pictures even easier.
If you’re an Android user, you’re probably somewhat familiar with a physical camera button. You’d usually find it on the right side of the phone, towards the bottom. Some phones were fancy enough to make those buttons two-stage: a light press to focus and then a harder press to snap. Android devices that came with separate camera buttons include the camera-like Samsung Galaxy K Zoom and earlier Xperia flagships like the Z5.
However, these days, most people just make do with using a double-tap on the power button to open the camera and a click of the volume rocker to take the picture. For real photography enthusiasts though, that’s not quite the same thing. If you want an Android device with a shutter button in 2024, Sony is the only place you can look. However, that seems set to change in a bit.
Apple Brought The Camera Button Train Back; Android Manufacturers Seem Set To Hop Back On
Despite camera buttons not being a new thing, Apple doing it was the fastest way to make it mainstream. Admittedly, the Cupertino company’s “button” is more of a touch sensitive panel, so it can detect swipes to scroll through different camera settings. Despite all Android manufacturers but Sony turning their backs on the feature, it seems like it’s about to make a return now that Apple has said “Go”.
According to Ice Universe on X, the Oppo Find X8, which is expected to launch sometime next month, is going to come with what the company calls a “Quick Button”. Nubia, a subbrand of ZTE, has also mentioned via Weibo how a camera button will be coming to one of their devices this year too. Both of these devices actually seem set to launch relatively soon.
However, the closest implementation to Apple’s Camera Control can be seen in a demonstration from the folks at Realme. In fact, the tech was shown off about a month ago, but Realme’s super fast 320W charging sort of stole the show.
The video, posted on Weibo, shows that the button doesn’t only support taps but also supports swipe gestures as well. However, there’s no phone actually linked to this feature, similar to the company’s 320W charging tech.
Apple Reinvented The Wheel And I Can’t Hate Them For It
As much as I don’t like the fanfare that comes around each time Apple puts a lot of glitter on a feature that’s hardly new, I have to say that with the Camera Control, they were hopping into a field that Android has essentially abandoned. If they decided to introduce expandable storage (which they’ve never had), I wouldn’t be able to hate on them.
It’s unavoidable that Android manufacturers besides Sony who choose to bring forth the camera button at this point will just seem like mindless trend followers, but that’s how it’s always been in the Android space, once Apple does something different.
