Chinese Flagship Phones Start Mimicking New iPhone Features Before Release: Copper Color and Solid-State Buttons Become the New Trend

Chinese Flagship Phones Start Mimicking New iPhone Features Before Release: Copper Color and Solid-State Buttons Become the New TrendRegardless of iPhone sales or how people perceive Apple's design, any slight modification to a new iPhone is bound to spark industry debate, even leading to collective imitation by Android brands. Chinese brands are especially fond of mimicking minor changes in iPhones

Chinese Flagship Phones Start Mimicking New iPhone Features Before Release: Copper Color and Solid-State Buttons Become the New Trend

Regardless of iPhone sales or how people perceive Apple's design, any slight modification to a new iPhone is bound to spark industry debate, even leading to collective imitation by Android brands. Chinese brands are especially fond of mimicking minor changes in iPhones. According to information from "Digital Chat Station" on August 20th, it's been rumored that the iPhone 16 series might feature a brand-new copper color option and solid-state buttons. Now, some flagship phones are quickly adopting these changes. Notably, the implementation of solid-state buttons varies among Chinese flagship phones, with some using them as shortcut keys for photography, while others utilize them for three-stage buttons.

PS: See? The iPhone 16 series hasn't even been released yet, just industry rumors circulating, and people are already jumping on the bandwagon. In other words, if these changes are actually present in the iPhone 16 series, we can expect to see them implemented in Chinese flagship phones after its official launch. The easiest example is the copper color. Following Apple's new color schemes has always been a standard practice for Chinese brands. Every year, when Apple releases a new color, Chinese brands follow suit. The most memorable examples are the "Gold," "Rose Gold," and later "Jet Black," "Blue," and the recent popular "Green." Apple was the first to introduce these colors, and then Android brands swiftly jumped on board. If the iPhone 16 indeed launches with a copper color, expect all Chinese brands to follow.

This trend is similar to how Chinese brands adopted the right-angled frame design from the iPhone 12 series. It's become an industry standard, and it will likely become even more prevalent over the next year. In the smartphone realm, we're likely to see a sea of right-angled frame designs. It's an inescapable trend. No wonder some netizens joke that Apple doesn't just sell iPhones but also provides design inspiration as a bonus. It's truly unavoidable because Apple's influence is undeniable, and the refined elegance of iPhones is not easily replicated by Chinese brands. The same design, executed by Apple, feels genuinely sophisticated.

Chinese phone manufacturers' imitation of new iPhone models has become an industry norm. From color schemes to design elements, almost every new feature of the iPhone gets replicated on Chinese flagship phones. This trend speaks to the learning capabilities of Chinese manufacturers on one hand, but it also reflects the significant room for improvement in design innovation in the domestic mobile phone market on the other.

When it comes to color schemes, Apple has always been a pioneer in setting the trend in the mobile phone market. From the initial classic black and white to the subsequent "Gold," "Rose Gold," and the current "Jet Black," "Blue," and "Green", every new color scheme released by Apple has created a sensation in the market and inspired other brands to follow suit. Chinese phone manufacturers are eager to follow in Apple's footsteps, applying these new colors to their own products.

Apart from color schemes, Apple's design innovations consistently inspire Chinese phone manufacturers to follow suit. For example, the right-angled frame design adopted by the iPhone 12 series quickly became an industry trend, prompting almost all Chinese flagship phones to mimic this design element. The reason behind this phenomenon is twofold: Apple's design undeniably leads the way, and Chinese phone manufacturers lack sufficient design innovation capabilities.

Of course, not all imitation is negative. In mimicking Apple, Chinese phone manufacturers are continuously learning and improving. For example, some manufacturers have incorporated their own design philosophies into their products while imitating Apple's designs, creating products with their own distinct features. For instance, Huawei's Mate series, while borrowing some elements from the iPhone's design, also incorporates Huawei's design style, ultimately creating products with a unique identity.

However, excessive imitation of Apple can also have negative consequences. On the one hand, it can lead to serious product homogenization in the Chinese smartphone market, lacking differentiation and competition, hindering industry development. On the other hand, it can also affect the independence of Chinese mobile phone brands, reducing their brand value.

In conclusion, Chinese phone manufacturers' imitation of new iPhone models is a natural phenomenon in industry evolution. However, to promote healthy growth in the domestic mobile phone market, Chinese phone manufacturers need to focus more on design innovation, creating products with their own unique characteristics, rather than solely relying on imitating Apple to win market share.