Xiaomi and Realme seem open to the idea
Dynamic Island is one of the main talking points on the iPhone 14 series, and it looks like Android OEMs are already thinking about what elements of the feature they can use on future smartphones. Both Xiaomi and Realme have posted comments in recent days suggesting that each sees the functionality of Apple’s handsets as inspiration for future software upgrades. Realme seems more keen on the idea, while comments from Xiaomi suggest it’s looking into the idea, but it’s unlikely to come to smartphones anytime soon.
The dynamic island is a pill-shaped area that surrounds the front camera of the new iPhone 14 series. The interface around the pill is dynamic, providing contextual information to users. It’s a unique way to hide the front camera, and we wouldn’t be surprised to see some Android makers copy a similar style to their future devices.
Spotted by MySmartPrice, Realme asks members of its community if they want a “dream island”. It doesn’t specifically reference Apple’s functionality, but the company’s description makes it clear that it would mimic Apple’s design. The forum post reads: “Can you imagine if Realme UI added a software trick to turn the camera cutout into a multifunctional feature? The UI around the camera hole could turn into different shapes and sizes to display incoming phone calls, alerts, notifications, and more.
“Finding this idea quite appealing, we at Realme decided to reach out to our loyal fans for ideas and suggestions on how such a software feature could be implemented on Realme devices, possibly in the future. ?” The development of this idea seems very early, but it looks like Realme may include a similar feature on a future device if the feedback is good.
Meanwhile, Xiaomi China’s Present Lu Weibing posted on social media network Weibo (via Gadgets360) to see if the company’s fans would like to see a “smart island” in future Xiaomi phones. One comment sounded enthusiastic about the feature, and Weibing responded by asking if users “really need a smart island.” The executive seems open to talking with its users, but it’s clear that Xiaomi is less enthusiastic about the idea than Realme in its official statements.
None of these sources will tell us when to expect features similar to a dynamic island. Even if Android OEMs are working on similar features, it’s likely to be some time before we see it introduced to smartphones you can buy. Just a few days after the introduction of the iPhone 14 series, we saw a developer produce a Xiaomi MIUI theme that uses elements of a dynamic island. The feature has not yet been approved for the company’s MIUI theme store.