When Apple launched the iPhone 14 lineup in September 2022, the most talked about feature on the new device was the newly debuted Dynamic Island option. Exclusive to the Pro-grade iPhones, this feature turns the pill-shaped hole punch on the iPhone’s display into a notification feature. Within weeks of its introduction, the Google Play Store was filled with several apps that mimicked the functionality of Dynamic Island on Android phones. Many of these apps gained popularity very fast, some crossing the 1 million download mark within weeks.
Smartphone brands that noticed the massive popularity of the Dynamic Island feature were also quick to react. Among the first of these companies was Oppo’s sub-brand Realme, which asked for help from its fan base to create what it called a “Realme Island” feature for devices running Realme UI. And it looks like Realme might just become the first company to launch a native Dynamic Island-like feature on Android phones.
In a now-deleted tweet, images of Realme’s implementation of the Dynamic Island feature were posted online by the company’s CEO, Madhav Seth. However, noted leaker Steve Hemmerstoffer (OnLeaks) has since then posted another animation of Realme’s new feature that shows how it works.
What we know about Realme’s Dynamic Island feature
Given that Realme will not be able to call its feature Dynamic Island, the company seems to have chosen to call it the “Mini-Capsule.” From the animations, it is very clear that the feature closely resembles Apple’s own. When not in use, the part used by the Mini Capsule is hidden under a black interface that conceals the camera cutout. The animation that Steve posted specifically shows the Mini Capsule in action when the Realme smartphone is being charged. iPhone users will quickly note that Realme’s take on this particular animation is nearly identical to Apple’s, at least based on the leak.
Seems a weird bug occurred in the Matrix and caused a spacetime flaw that kinda disrupted my last trip to the future…??
So, one more round-trip later, here comes your first look at #Realme‘s #MiniCapsule in action…?
Again, on behalf of @Smartprix ?? https://t.co/qAPkl4gcNn pic.twitter.com/Z29A4j0Jhe
— Steve H.McFly (@OnLeaks) February 22, 2023
Given that this feature is still under development, Realme is likely to come up with several use cases for its Mini Capsule feature. It is unclear how soon the company plans to roll out the Mini Capsule update to its smartphones. With Realme’s CEO already confirming that the feature is likely to debut on a C-series handset later this year, many Realme fans are hopeful of this launch happening at Mobile World Congress 2023, which is less than a week away.
It remains to be seen how long Realme takes to launch a stable, non-buggy implementation of Apple’s Dynamic Island-inspired feature on its devices. However, for those not possessing a Realme phone, we have a detailed article that discusses several ways to get a Dynamic Island-like feature on any Android device.
