Apple isn’t the only one eliminating the physical mute switch, as it did on the iPhone 15 Pro. Today, OnePlus, a prominent Android brand, announced that it is moving away from the alert slider in its future flagship offerings. Like the iPhone, it will instead adopt a button you can program to your heart’s desire.
In a forum post to its community, OnePlus addresses its fans about why it decided to do away with a switch. “This change allows us to better utilize the device’s space, explore new layouts, and make structural improvements while keeping performance top-notch,” writes Pete Lau, OnePlus’s original co-founder. However, the post doesn’t reveal what the button is like or what it will do beyond being programmable. But OnePlus promises, “This button is future-ready and incredibly intuitive.”
The Alert Slider on the OnePlus flagship phones has been a part of the DNA since its original heyday. OnePlus removed the slider from its 2022 release, the OnePlus 10T, which sent fans and faithful users into a frenzy. This news also isn’t sitting well, considering the Alert Slider became a part of OnePlus’s identity over the past decade. Android’s faithful users knew that if you wanted something that stood out from the Samsungs and Google Pixels, you could look to OnePlus for something slightly different.
“No. I disagree with this change, @Pete, as the alert slider is the iconic piece for OnePlus. I love how I can tell if my phone is in a mode by just looking at it, and I want to keep it that way,” writes one user in the comments.
OnePlus doesn’t mention when the change will occur or if we’ll see it as soon as the next phone release. There are some rumblings about the OnePlus 13T making a triumphant comeback after OnePlus took a break from releasing the “T” variant. Oppo, OnePlus’s parent company abroad, still uses the alert slider on its flagships, including the recently launched Find N5 foldable. We aren’t expecting a new foldable from OnePlus either, at least not this year.
I suppose it’s good news that OnePlus has given its fans a heads-up about the alert slider, with enough time to grieve until a device with this new button mechanism comes to fruition. OnePlus hints that the button will not only be programmable but will also be able to “adapt” to its user. “Whether you’re a power user or prefer simplicity, this button works for you, not the other way around,” writes Lau. We’ll see about that—and we’ll see what OnePlus does about all those comments begging it not to kill the alert slider.
