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My favorite OnePlus feature is getting an iPhone-inspired redesign – and I'm not upset about it
OnePlus just made a business decision that took a lot of courage. At least that’s how its CEO, Pete Lau, framed it in his Monday community post. After years and years of fielding a physical alert slider on its phones, the company is moving away in favor of a customizable function key, similar in behavior to the iPhone’s Action Button.
Also: Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra vs. OnePlus 13: I compared the best Android phones, and it was very close
The change is in response to a recent demand for more customizability in smartphones, particularly regarding the alert slider, which could only toggle between sound modes (silent, vibrate, and sound). Lau said that this left OnePlus with two choices: “Leave it as it was or evolve it into something even more powerful.”
The result is a smart button that adapts to the user’s needs, whether adjusting specific settings, firing up apps at will, or remaining as the good old mute switch. The latter is non-negotiable, says Lau, as users still prefer OnePlus devices for the burdenless capability.
OnePlus suggests that evolving the alert slider also opens up more internal space to further develop its phones. That structural space recovered from the physical slider gives room for improvements to cameras, processing, and battery, hopefully tallying up to a net positive experience.
The OnePlus Open Apex Edition featured an alert slider that turned on “VIP mode” for enhanced security.
Prakhar Khanna/ZDNET
Considering the OnePlus 13 I recently reviewed performed admirably across the board, with slight setbacks in video recording, I’d love to see the company expand on that capability with the added internal space.
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Lau hasn’t shared any information regarding what upcoming phone models will be impacted by this design shift. Still, it’s safe to assume that it’ll apply to some mid-range phones like the Nord N series, which did have physical alert sliders, the OnePlus 14 next year, and whenever the company feels ready to whip out a foldable phone again.
