OnePlus stated Monday that its signature Alert Slider function is being transitioned right into a button, very similar to Apple did when it changed an identical function with the Motion button beginning with the iPhone 15 Professional.
OnePlus CEO Pete Lau mentioned the change in a neighborhood weblog put up, mentioning that the change is coming after three years of debate towards discovering a solution to get the alert slider to do extra. Lau additionally referenced that the corporate heard neighborhood backlash when the OnePlus 10T omitted the function in 2022, and that the brand new button will nonetheless enable for silencing a cellphone with out waking it up.
The Alert Slider, seen right here on the OnePlus 13R.
“I do know this can be a huge change. And I do know it is not simple to just accept. The Alert Slider holds a particular place within the hearts of our Neighborhood, and we do not take that evenly,” Lau stated within the weblog put up.
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Whereas the OnePlus neighborhood has been recognized to be protecting of the cellphone’s design, customizable buttons are actually widespread throughout new Android telephones and the iPhone. Apple’s $599 iPhone 16E is the lowest-cost iPhone that features a customizable Motion button, and Samsung’s $800 Galaxy S25 features a aspect button that will also be mapped to particular actions or options.
Lau did not announce any new telephones that can embody a customizable button as an alternative of the Alert Slider, however the preemptive announcement seems to be positioned to get forward of reactions to that change each time it does arrive. OnePlus usually sticks to annual releases within the winter for its new telephones, however the firm would possibly debut the button on the cellphone with a much less predictable launch cadence, like its lower-cost Nord collection.