Ah, Apple. The company everyone loves to mock, yet can’t resist emulating. From the notch (oh, the notch!) to the dynamic island (because static ones are so 2010), and even the audacious move of removing chargers (we’re still not over that one), Apple sets the trends, and the rest of the industry… well, they follow. Remember when Oppo thought they were being revolutionary by ditching the headphone jack? Bless their hearts. Apple made it cool.
Now, the iPhone 16’s shiny new camera control button is the latest victim of the copycat syndrome, and Realme, ever the eager student, was the first to “take inspiration.”
Chase Xu, Realme’s VP and Chief Marketing Officer, couldn’t resist sharing a sneak peek on Weibo. The phone in the video? Clearly a new, unannounced model, hot off the copy machine. The camera button? Oh, it’s in the exact same spot as on the iPhone 16. And the functionality? You guessed it, identical. Zoom in, zoom out, snap a pic.
If Realme’s jumped on the bandwagon, expect Huawei, Honor, and the rest of the Chinese smartphone brigade to follow suit. Samsung and Google? They’ll probably be “inspired” too. It’s the circle of (smartphone) life.
Personally, I’m not surprised. Remember the annual “upgrade” that was basically just a slightly better camera? Yawn.Give me a phone with new capabilities, something AI is finally delivering. That’s why I’m waiting to see how Apple Intelligence stacks up against Gemini and Galaxy AI.
And let’s be honest, copying Apple is a time-honored tradition. The headphone jack debacle still stings, but I’ll admit, the dynamic island is pretty slick. So, copy away, folks. Just don’t expect any originality awards.
The iPhone 16 will probably be a fantastic phone, and if Realme can offer some of its features at a lower price, good for them. But let’s not pretend it’s anything but a well-executed imitation. Apple leads, the rest follow. It’s the way of the tech world, and it’s not changing anytime soon.
