What you need to know
- Apple’s Dynamic Island could see its Android version in the future.
- A theme developer built a Dynamic Island-style feature for a Xiaomi phone.
- The theme update is still pending approval from Xiaomi.
Apple’s Dynamic Island is perhaps the main talking point of the iPhone 14 Pro, and it may see its Android version on Xiaomi phones, as a theme developer has created a feature that simulates this capability.
TechDroider‘s Vaibhav Jain shared a video clip (opens in new tab) on Twitter showing a Dynamic Island-style area at the top of a phone screen housing the notifications. It’s a feature designed by a theme developer for Xiaomi’s MIUI, but the Chinese phone maker has yet to approve it.
The theme is apparently called Grumpy UI, which is currently available only in Chinese. Like the iPhone 14 Pro’s implementation, this feature turns the small pill into a handy multitasking tool that lets you switch between apps without exiting an open window. In the example shown in the clip, a user is playing a song without leaving the home screen.
Its function is akin to how the notification shade on Android phones works, except that it houses them all in a small pill-shaped area. However, unlike Apple’s Dynamic Island, this one doesn’t encompass the front-facing camera.
Seeing as this feature remains under review for the time being, it’s not certain when Xiaomi phone owners will be able to see the update. But it’s a nostalgic one for those who have owned an LG V10, which had a little strip at the top of the display that served as an app launcher from which you could access shortcuts from any screen. When the display was turned off, the second screen, as it was called, would show the date, time, and connection status.
While LG’s implementation was less fluid than Apple’s, it would be a welcome addition to Android devices when Xiaomi gives it a go signal.
