Alert slider to make way for action button on OnePlus phones

OnePlus on Monday (March 10) made a major announcement with regard removing a signature feature of its premium phones in future products.

The trademark 'alert slider' which has been the mainstay in premium phones since the debut of its first-ever device OnePlus One in 2014 will be replaced with new button feature in future phones.

The hardware switch allows users to quickly change between silent, vibrate, and ring modes. It's located on the edge of the phone.

It should be noted that OnePlus once did skip the alert slider in OnePlus 10T. But after backlash from fans, the company reintroduced it in OnePlus 11 and newer models.

However, it won't be coming in future products from this year.

OnePlus co-founder Pete Lau and his engineering team tried all possible options to customise the alert slider to perform different functions. But, the slider hardware once programmed cannot be customised to function differently over time.

OnePlus Open teaser confirms the device will come with the Alert Slider feature.

So, taking a leaf out of Apple's iPhone playbook, OnePlus is planning to bring an 'action' button that can be programmed to perform several functions with just a pressing action.

Action button on Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max.

Action button options available on Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max.

"Imagine a button that adapts to you. Whether you’re a power user or prefer simplicity, this button works for you, not the other way around. Wherever life takes you, it seamlessly fits your lifestyle. It’s an innovation that is not just smart but intuitively yours. This change allows us to better utilize the device's space, explore new layouts, and make structural improvements while keeping performance top-notch," said the OnePlus Community manager.

In iPhone 15 Pro, 15 Pro Max (review), iPhone 16 (review), 16 plus, 16e, and iPhone 16 Pro, 16 Pro Max (review) and newer models, the action button can be used to open an app, launch camera, turn on torch light or switch between silint or ring mode and do more.

Similarly, OnePlus plans to bring action button to future OnePlus phones.

The company has asked fans about their thoughts on OnePlus making this new change in the phone. And, also urged them to tell them what functionalities they like the OnePlus to add to the custom action button to perform.

OnePlus is expected to launch OnePlus Nord 5 series phone later this year, but not sure if the company has any plans to bring OnePlus Open 2 foldable phone in India or not.

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