Apple has been a trendsetter in the smartphone industry for nearly two decades, for better or worse (Just look at the 35mm jack) So it's no surprise that the new camera control button debuting on the iPhone 16 this week has already inspired a lot of imitation

Three different Chinese Android smartphone makers have announced plans or released versions of the shutter button on their upcoming devices

The party started late last week when Nubia president Ni Fei announced on Weibo that the company's upcoming Z70 Ultra smartphone will feature a “more realistic camera button” Replying to a previous post on Digital Chat Station, a regular leaker, Fei confirmed that the phone will also have a two-step shutter function, allowing users to focus with a half-click and take a photo with a full press

Prior to last week's Glowtime event, where Apple revealed its iPhone 16 lineup, regular device tipster Ice Universe posted that Oppo's upcoming Find X8 series will also feature a camera buttonAndroid Authority reported that Oppo's version will be called “Quick Button”

Apple's camera control button stands out for including support for swipe gestures that allow users to change photo settings menus and zoom in on a subject; it remains to be seen if Nubia or Oppo will offer similar functionality with a dedicated camera button For now, their buttons seem to be mostly shutter controls

Meanwhile, Realme released a video on Weibo this week of a new camera button on an unnamed Realme phone, which actually looks extremely similar to Apple's design In the video, a Realme employee can be seen swiping a key to zoom in on a skyscraper in the distance He then taps a button to take a picture We don't know if their version has two-step controls, but we wouldn't be surprised to see that feature appear

As is the case with all three handset makers, a separate shutter button for a smartphone camera is not a new idea Sony's Xperia 1 VI still has a separate camera button Companies like Nokia and HTC have had independent camera controls on various devices for years

Additionally, Realme has a habit of showing off the technology it is working on, although it is not always launched Recently, the company showed off a 320W charger that can replenish a smartphone's battery in less than five minutes So far, it has not been included in any phones, nor has there been any announcement of its imminent arrival Realme previously duplicated Apple's MagSafe feature, but has not actually released it anywhere

For US customers, they may never see these phones, as they may not appear outside of China Instead, the question is whether larger rivals like Samsung and Google will decide to follow suit with their own take on the camera button Both are known for taking ideas from Cupertino tech giants, so it is not out of the realm of possibility