Seventeen months after Apple replaced its familiar Mute Swith with an Action Button on the iPhone 15 Pro, OnePlus has revealed it has a similar move planned for its future handsets.
OnePlus’s existing implementation is a little different to how it was on older iPhones. While Apple’s solution was a binary choice of silent or loud, OnePlus’s Alert slider is a three-stage switch which can jump between muted, silent and ringing. But the concept is the same: an easy way to silence your phone without needing to look at it.
It’s been present on pretty much every one of the company’s phones, barring the OnePlus 10T, which might explain why CEO Pete Lau went to lengths to explain that the functionality won’t be going away with the new customizable button.
Why OnePlus is ditching the switch
“One of the most common requests we’ve heard over the years? ‘Let me customize the Alert Slider.’ And honestly, I wanted that too,” writes Lau in a post on OnePlus’s community forums.
“But here’s the issue: 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.”
The solution, Lau goes on to explain — albeit in rather vague, marketing lingo — is to create a button that can be altered.
“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.
I can’t reveal everything just yet, but trust me, this button is future-ready and incredibly intuitive.”
Design changes, but the same functionality will remain
Lau is keen to explain that users can keep using the button to switch sound profiles.
“This was non-negotiable, and something I specifically asked of the team. I know how essential it is to be able to silence your phone quickly and easily, and that feature is staying intact with the new button,” he writes.
Perhaps anticipating backlash, the post ends with the acknowledgement that “this is a big change” and “not easy to accept” while inviting feedback in the comments.
“Your feedback has always shaped OnePlus devices, and this time is no different. This is just the beginning, and your input will help define how we refine and improve this feature moving forward.”
Community backlash
Generously, you could say that the requested feedback from the 210 comments to date has been “mixed”, but that would be a mischaracterization. The response is largely negative, with the most-liked comments registering dissatisfaction and calling for a rethink.
“You guys already ditched Alert Slider back once and faced backlash, don't repeat the mistake,” the top comment concludes, adding that this fix is “breaking an already perfect thing”.
“I love how I can tell if my phone is in a mode by just looking at it, and I want to keep it that way,” reads another. “Changing to a button doesn't just feel like a betrayal, but copying Apple.”
“I want it to stay the way it is right now, and not change it at all,” reads a third. “After years, this is the only feature that sets us apart.”
Could an Action Button clone work?
Of course, many people were reluctant to lose the iPhone’s Mute Switch too and the change took some time to get used to. But you can’t argue with the flexibility that the Action Button offers over what came before it, assuming you have the time and inclination to set it up to your tastes.
In any case, it’s probably too late for a change of direction at this stage. A leaked OnePlus roadmap last month revealed that the OnePlus 13T is due to arrive in April, and it’s extremely likely this is where the new button will make its debut.
The only question is whether it will be the new normal for future phones, or whether OnePlus will once again revert to the Alert Switch, like it did after the OnePlus 10T release left fans underwhelmed.
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