Dynamic Island, one of the flagship functions of the iPhone 14 Pro, is the envy of Android! So much so that Realme seems to have copied it on its own smartphones, under the name of Mini Capsule. And other constructors should follow!
The Dynamic Island function, present on the latest iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max, caused a lot of talk when it was released, and users were quickly won over! It was the first time a smartphone maker used the screen punch in a practical and creative way. As a reminder, Apple has chosen to replace the usual notch with a long perforation which camouflages the double hole in the screen thanks to software elements. As a result, the area between the two perforations is filled with unlit pixels, making it a black area at the top of the screen. This is fully integrated into the iOS 16 interface and changes size to display certain information, such as the music listened to or when wireless headphones connect, for example.
But, of course, this good idea has not gone unnoticed by other manufacturers, who are wondering how to integrate it into their products – which already makes less sense, given that Android smartphones most often carry a punch much more discreet than the long perforation of the iPhone 14 Pro. And, as reported Smartprice, it’s Realme who obviously opens the ball – but the information was obviously to remain secret -, but Xiaomi could not be far behind since the Chinese firm has surveyed its community on this subject for its future smartphones. In the meantime, an Android application has already been developed.
AT to believe the tweet of Madhav Sheth, the vice-president of Realme, the company would be eyeing the latest flagship function from Apple. In the image he posted – and since deleted – we can see a Realme smartphone with a dynamic island at the top of its screen, which has also been renamed Mini Capsule. Things don’t end there becausea demonstration video was shared by the famous and well-informed leaker Oneleaks, where we see more of the interface. So the Mini Capsule seems to mimic the way Apple’s Dynamic Island works pretty well. It would be able to warn the user in case of low battery and indicate when the charge begins and ends. It is quite easy to imagine that the manufacturer will also offer other interactions, such as music control, a shortcut to the current phone call, confirmation for facial recognition, etc. It remains to be seen on which devices we could see this new function appear first. Maybe the C-series? The MWC 2023 show, which will be held from February 27 to March 2, could be the opportunity to find out more. Finally, let’s not forget that Realme is a subsidiary of Oppo, therefore this function could also be found on Oppo smartphones and possibly those of OnePlus.
Realme and Xiaomi to conquer the Dynamic Island
In a message posted on his official foruml in September 2022, Realme asked its users if they would like a “Realme Island” integrated into the brand’s smartphones. While she didn’t directly quote the Dynamic Island, the company’s description of it couldn’t be clearer: “Can you imagine what would happen if Realme UI added a software trick to turn the camera cutout into a multi-function feature? The UI around the camera hole could transform into different shapes and sizes to display incoming phone calls, alerts, notifications, and more.” Realme then offered its customers to “to address ideas and suggestions on how such software functionality might be implemented” – they had until September 22. The firm had to choose three proposals which would be proposed to the community in the form of a survey. The most popular idea was then to be featured on the Realme Community homepage and Realme UI developers were to consider it for a “possible implementation in the future.”
Ditto for the Chinese manufacturer Xiaomi. Gadgets360 website had spotted a message from Lu Weibing, the president of Xiaomi in China, on Sina Weibo. Responding to a user about the future Redmi K60 phone, he asked if users would have “really need a Smart Island” on their smartphones, and he had received a massive “yes”. If Xiaomi had not yet officially announced its intention to add this function to one of its products, a video was circulating on YouTube – it has since been deleted. A certain Eprodukt presented a smartphone – which he claimed to be the Redmi K60 – which incorporated a function strongly resembling the Dynamic Island, with an interactive bubble that unfolds along the camera in order to provide various information – here the multimedia player. Information to be taken with very large tweezers.
An Android application that simulates Dynamic Island
A developer had already taken the lead in developing an application, called “dynamicSpot – Multitasking“, which simulates the functions of Dynamic Island. In beta since September 2022 – but still functional – it mimics some functions of Apple’s new user interface while adding customization options. Notifications are therefore displayed on a floating island at the level of the camera module. The user can choose which notifications will be displayed on the screen – basically, the application intercepts the notifications and modifies their format on the model of the Dynamic Island. Music, timer, alarms, mapping… All these types of applications are supported, but in addition, it is possible to change the appearance, the position – in order to adapt it to the location of the front camera of the phone -, the size and the rounding of the DynamicSpot, and even to display two notifications at the same time.
There is a paid version at 3.99 dollars – you have to support the developer – in order to unlock new options, such as the possibility of displaying the DynamicSpot on the lock screen. Regarding privacy security, the app asks for almost full access to all rights of the smartphone – in order to control everything that is displayed on the screen – but the developer claims that no data is collected or shared with a third party.
