OnePlus could remove alert slider, introduce iPhone 16 like action button with new phone

OnePlus could be moving towards removing the iconic alert slider that has adorned its devices for years in favour of a new button. Notably, the alert slider is one of the Chinese company’s unique features, and was complemented by an IR blaster with the OnePlus 12 and 13 series.

According to leaker Digital Chat Station (via Weibo), OnePlus and Oppo, collectively called the Ouga Group, will remove the alert slider from their upcoming smartphones in favour of an Apple-like customisable action button, as seen on the iPhone 15 and iPhone 16 series.

The alert slider allows users to switch their phone from ringing to silent and vibrate by turning a metallic button on the left-hand side. The action key, on the other hand, can be used to program any action, including opening different apps, starting the camera and more. It remains to be seen whether OnePlus’ implementation of the action key will also allow users to change different sound profiles as well.

OnePlus 13 Mini in the works:

In other OnePlus news, the company is said to be working on another version of its OnePlus 13 smartphone with a smaller screen, called the OnePlus 13 Mini.

The OnePlus 13 Mini is rumoured to be powered by Qualcomm’s cutting-edge Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, featuring seven cores. This is the same processor found in the flagship OnePlus 13, suggesting that the Mini variant will deliver flagship-level performance despite its reduced size. With this, the OnePlus 13 Mini is likely to compete with other compact premium devices such as the Samsung Galaxy S25.

In terms of display, the OnePlus 13 Mini is speculated to feature a 6.31-inch LTPO OLED panel with a 1.5K resolution and a smooth 120Hz refresh rate. The screen will reportedly adopt a flat design with ultra-slim bezels, offering an immersive viewing experience. The device is also expected to incorporate an optical in-display fingerprint scanner for enhanced security.