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Someone just added Apple's Dynamic Island on an Android phone (Updated)

Update: More examples of how the feature works on an Android phone with a center punch hole.
By
September 14, 2022
Apple Event 2022 iphone 14 pro dynamic island 2
Apple
TL;DR
  • Developers of a MIUI theme have implemented a Dynamic Island-style feature on a Xiaomi phone.
  • This is the first time we’re seeing someone attempt to copy the Apple feature on an Android device.
  • The theme is available on the MIUI Themes store.

Update: September 14, 2022 (12:49 AM ET): We first saw how the Android version of Dynamic Island works on a Xiaomi phone with a left-aligned punch hole. Now, the source who spotted the MIUI theme that enables the feature has posted some more examples of how it works on a device with a center-aligned punch hole.

You can see how the pill-shaped island expands and contracts to show notifications and music player controls. It doesn’t look as fluid as Apple’s version, but it works nevertheless.

Dynamic Island Style Music Player + Notifications on Xiaomi pic.twitter.com/r2Op41Susu
— Vaibhav Jain (@vvaiibhav) September 13, 2022

Original article: September 12, 2022 (3:06 AM ET): Apple’s new Dynamic Island was easily one of the highlights of its iPhone 14 series launch. Available only on the new Pro iPhones, the iOS feature essentially camouflages Apple’s new pill-shaped camera housing with information on things like notifications, calls, timers, music, accessory pairing, and more.

Like many Apple features before its time, Dynamic Island could be a prime candidate for being copied by Android makers. It’s not like Apple doesn’t pinch features from Android, but we all know the reverse also happens all the time. Keeping with that spirit, a Mi Theme developer has already implemented an Android version of Dynamic Island on a Xiaomi phone.

Spotted by TechDroider‘s Vaibhav Jain, a short video clip shows how Dynamic Island-style notifications and a now playing section look on Xiaomi’s MIUI software. The theme is reportedly called Grumpy UI and is available only in the standard Chinese language. As you can see, it successfully manages to hide the pin-hole selfie camera in the corner when expanded.

Dynamic Island Style Notifications / Now Playing on Xiaomi MIUI. Mi Theme Developers never disappoint 😎 pic.twitter.com/ImHmbkRZnb
— Vaibhav Jain (@vvaiibhav) September 11, 2022

The theme developers told Jain that their Dynamic Island update is still under review. If Xiaomi approves the theme, it’ll go live on the MIUI Themes store.

Do Android phones need a feature like Apple's Dynamic Island?

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It’s too early to say if Xiaomi or any other Android OEM will go ahead and officially adopt a version of the Dynamic Island on their phones. Android phones have been actively moving away from pill-shaped notches or notches of any kind, so it would make little sense for Android OEMs to implement a similar feature. But if we’ve learned something over time, anything is possible in the smartphone space, and for all we know, some iteration of the Dynamic Island might make it to Android devices in the future.