Alert Slider Out, Action Button In: OnePlus 13T Takes Design Cue from iPhone 16

OnePlus recently announced that it is ditching the alert slider in favour of an iPhone 16-style programmable action button that can do more than simply toggle the device's audio profile. The business now says that the next OnePlus 13T will be the first device to make use of this new physical button.

In a Weibo post, OnePlus CEO Pete Lau posted a picture of the OnePlus 13T with the iPhone-style button OnePlus, revealing that although it still works as an alert slider that can also switch sound profiles, it provides some extra functionality that the company will announce in the next few days.

OnePlus formally teased the 13T on April 1 in a quirky manner—by revealing a spoof hammer in a trailer, and the trailer ended with a shot of the OnePlus 13T box. The 13T is the third phone in the OnePlus 13 lineup and is likely to be a small Smartphone with a huge battery and the same internal hardware as the OnePlus 13. This comprises the Snapdragon 8 Elite processor, high-resolution quad-curved screen, IP69 rated, and more.

Apparently, this advancement will likely affect OnePlus and OPPO-branded Smartphones; a likely feature to be seen on upcoming smart devices of the two companies are applicative hardware buttons found in high-end phones.

Almost all growing Smartphones equip themselves with a minimum of three physical buttons; two volume rockers and a power button. Now, many Smartphones power buttons are also being employed to access virtual assistants such as Siri or Gemini.

Earlier in 2023, Apple unveiled the action button on its iPhone 15 Pro (review) series, which was subsequently rolled out to the rest of the iPhone 16 (review) series—along with a new Camera Control button. Today, additional Android brands are following in its steps and introducing similar hardware buttons, at least on its flagship devices.