OnePlus 13T: Company exec confirms removal of iconic Alert Slider

OnePlus is gearing up to launch a new flagship phone, the OnePlus 13T. While there's no word about the launch yet, AnTuTu has recently revealed that the upcoming smartphone will feature the Snapdragon 8 Elite, putting it right against the other flagships like the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra (512 GB curr. $1,291.75 on Amazon).

With a recent Weibo post, Louis Lee, the president of OnePlus China, has also confirmed the absence of the iconic Alert Slider, something that reliable tipster Digital Chat Station has hinted at before. Instead, the upcoming OnePlus 13T is confirmed to feature a new Action Button-like shortcut key.

Even though Louis Lee didn't share the name of the key, Digital Chat Station previously reported that it would be called the "Magic Cube Key." Of course, the OnePlus president did share some insight into what this Action Button-like key would be for.

Per the Weibo post, the new shortcut key can do what the Alert Slider of previous OnePlus phones does: switching from silent, ringing, and vibration modes. In addition, it will have support for custom operations, possibly similar to what Apple offers with the Action Button found in recent iPhone models.

Louis Lee also shares that the company has incorporated a "very interesting" function into the shortcut key of the OnePlus 13T but didn't go into the details. However, the company official promised to share what this "very interesting" function would be through future teasers.

It's unclear how the removal of the iconic Alert Slider will be perceived by OnePlus fans, but it seems most phone manufacturers are heading in the same direction. For example, the Nothing Phone 3a series saw the addition of the "Essential Key," which offers Essential Space app integration, besides being able to capture a screenshot. Oppo is also expected to integrate a shortcut key like the OnePlus 13T in its future phones.