The Action button is a fascinating new hardware feature that appears on the current iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, but it means Apple has had to remove the famous mute switch, which has been associated with the iPhone since its inception. If things continue to go as they are, there will soon be just one company to turn to for a physical alert slider: OnePlus.
Around eight and a half years ago, OnePlus released the OnePlus 2, the first in the series to include a physical alert slider in its design: a three-stage affair that allows you to easily choose between ring, vibration, and quiet profiles. This immediately became one of the distinguishing features of OnePlus smartphones. Although it was arguably inspired by Apple, when it first appeared, it provided significant value that has since become exclusive to the company’s phones.
Almost every premium OnePlus phone, with the exception of the 2022 OnePlus 10T, has a physical alert slider. While competitors such as Nubia’s Red Magic gaming phones have experimented with similar hardware features (albeit with different functionality), only OnePlus and Apple have remained steadfast brands for consumers seeking an eyes-free option to easily swap alert profiles on their phones.
However, with the release of the iPhone 15 series, the long-rumored Action button made its official appearance, replacing the famous mute switch on Pro versions. While the toggle remains on the vanilla iPhone 15 and larger iPhone 15 Plus, history suggests that its days are numbered.
While the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus had the then-familiar iPhone design language with a physical home button, the iPhone X’s notched full-screen shape, which debuted alongside, was a foreshadowing of what was to come the next year and ever since. More recently, the Dynamic Island’s transition from Pro to standard between the iPhone 14 and 15 generations tells a similar story. So a precedent has undoubtedly been established.
The Action button is expected to become standard on this year’s iPhone 16 models when they debut later in 2024, effectively ending the need of physical switches on the iPhone. As a result, OnePlus is the only remaining alternative with that feature. So… almost the only one.
OnePlus and OnePlus-like
When the iPhone 15 series emerged, OnePlus appeared to be the only smartphone option offering phones with physical alert sliders, but one other closely related contender selected this point (or shortly thereafter) to enter the fray: Oppo.
As early as 2020, sister businesses OnePlus and Oppo began to merge. While this was mostly seen on OnePlus phones with more Oppo-like software, when OnePlus introduced its first foldable in late 2023 – the OnePlus Open – we saw some of its influence trickle in the opposite direction, onto Oppo’s current smartphones.
The Oppo Find N3 is practically an identical replica of the Open, but with Oppo branding and software. It is also the first phone in the company’s lineup to feature a tactile alert slider, similar to those found on the Open and many other OnePlus phones. This also applies to Oppo’s latest clamshell foldable, the Find N3 Flip, which debuted alongside the bigger Find N3.
If you were looking for mute buttons on this year’s iPhones, don’t hold your breath. However, if tactile integration is essential for your future smartphone choice, check out the top OnePlus phones and best Oppo phones and switch on.
