OnePlus phones may replace alert slider with customizable action button
What's the story
In a surprising move, OnePlus is said to be mulling the removal of its signature alert slider, a feature that has been a mainstay on its devices for years.
The alert slider made its debut on OnePlus phones a decade back and has been present ever since.
The news comes from Digital Chat Station, a trusted tipster who posted the news on Weibo.
Feature shift
New button to mimic iPhone's action key
The leaker indicates that both OnePlus and OPPO, together referred to as the Ouga Group, are looking to replace the alert slider with a customizable action button.
The new feature is similar to the one available on Apple's iPhone 15 and 16 series.
The current alert slider lets users switch their phone from ringing mode to silent or vibrate using a metallic button on the side.
User experience
Action key's potential functions on OnePlus devices
The proposed action key could be used to execute any task, be it launching different apps or activating the camera.
However, it remains unclear if OnePlus's version of the action key would also let users switch between various sound profiles.
Either way, this potential design change marks a major shift in user experience for future OnePlus smartphones.
Upcoming release
OnePlus 13 Mini: A compact powerhouse in the making
In other news, OnePlus is said to be working on a smaller variant of its OnePlus 13 smartphone, the OnePlus 13 Mini.
The compact device is likely to be powered by Qualcomm's cutting-edge Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset.
This is the same processor that powers the flagship OnePlus 13, indicating that the Mini variant will offer top-notch performance despite being smaller.
Market competition
OnePlus 13 Mini to rival other compact premium devices
The OnePlus 13 Mini will take on other compact premium offerings such as the Samsung Galaxy S25.
The phone is tipped to sport a 6.31-inch LTPO OLED panel with 1.5K resolution and buttery smooth 120Hz refresh rate.
The display is likely to sport a flat design with ultra-slim bezels for an immersive experience and an optical in-display fingerprint scanner for enhanced security.