21 hours Ago
OnePlus has launched most of its phones with the slider tool but that will change with the new models and a new button from the brand. OnePlus has finally said that it wants to move beyond the popular and iconic alert slider button for a new addition on its phones. We had recently talked about the prospect of Oppo (and OnePlus) looking at an iPhone-like customisable hardware button and this update from the brand confirms those rumours.
Pete Lau, the man running OnePlus, shared a detailed note on Monday, talking about the change, the reason for killing the alert slider, and what can OnePlus users expect from the upcoming devices. Alert Slider Goes, OnePlus Settles? Lau says OnePlus had no choice but to look at other options than the alert slider, mostly because of its inability to make the existing button customisable. “The Alert Slider is a hardware switch.
Its function is locked to its physical position, meaning it can’t be reprogrammed or expanded without losing its simplicity," Lau explains why the new button became inevitable. With the advent of AI and how companies are being forced to reinvent the use of smartphones with all the power, this new actionable button, as per Lau, acts as intelligent companions. OnePlus has previously highlighted the extra space afforded to the alert slider, which could become useful for other changes or upgrades.
But it seems that the brand is simply trying to follow the existing trend, something that we first saw with Apple launching the action button and then camera control button last year. The company has always vouched for the industry with this call and in some ways, settling against its nature. Change For Good? The alert slider had a clear purpose, and gave OnePlus devices an identity.
You can quickly switch from ring to vibrate or silent. Some people in the community post have suggested OnePlus could keep the slider and bring the new button but chances of that becoming a reality are sadly very slim. The action button will surely offer more options but will it make a difference for users, only time will tell.
All in all, the past few months have been OnePlus-heavy and most of them have come in the form of bad news for users in India. OnePlus confirmed that it will not launch a foldable in 2025, and later said the OnePlus Watch 3 is unlikely to debut in the country..
