Android Phone Makers Rush to Catch Up with iPhone 16’s Camera Button Clash

The Copycat Era: How Android Phones are Emulating the iPhone’s Camera Control Button

In our iPhone 16 review, we explored how Apple’s 2024 iPhone series introduced a new Camera Control button, allowing for seamless camera settings access. Now, it seems like Android manufacturers are following in their footsteps.

A recent post on Chinese social media platform Weibo (via Android Authority) has revealed that Oppo’s upcoming Find X8, due to arrive later this month, will feature a pressure-sensitive button for camera control and zoom. According to Oppo product manager Zhou Yibao, this feature was designed to give users more photography options, including underwater shooting.

But what sparked this sudden interest in a camera control button? While we may never know exactly what inspired Oppo to add this feature, it’s worth noting that the introduction of a button on Apple’s iPhones has been long rumored. Far from being a surprise, this move has been anticipated since September.

Something Borrowed, Something New

The concept of borrowing and adapting ideas between iPhone and Android phones is nothing new. Remember when the iPhone X introduced its distinctive display notch, only for a wave of Android phones to follow suit? The lesson is clear: there’s always something to learn from the other side.

The fact remains that the best phones, regardless of their operating system, will continue to evolve and improve. As long as phone manufacturers keep pushing the boundaries of innovation, we’ll be treated to a world of exciting new features and designs.

So, what does this mean for us? As long as phones continue to get better, we don’t mind which phone introduced which feature first. As long as we don’t end up with a homogenous tech landscape, where every phone looks and works the same.

And did you know that even now, all iPhones and most Android phones have a ‘camera button’ of sorts? Try it out: with the default camera app open on your phone, you can tap either volume button to snap a picture!

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