OnePlus' iconic alert slider may give way to a more versatile button, and this is what it could do

Future flagships from OnePlus and OPPO could feature a programmable action button like the one found on recent iPhone models. A recent rumor suggested that the Chinese companies were planning to do away with the much-loved alert slider in favor of a customizable button on upcoming flagship models. Now, a new leak highlights a few features this new button might support.

In a recent post on Weibo, leaker Digital Chat Station claims that OnePlus and OPPO could refer to this new action button as the “Magic Cube Key.” As with the action button on iPhones, users will be able to program the Magic Cube Key to trigger the flashlight, take a screenshot, capture a photo, help with a translation, or quickly launch an app.

We don’t have a full scope of its customizability at the moment, but it’s safe to assume that the new Magic Cube Key on OnePlus and OPPO will be much more versatile than the alert slider. However, it still may not appeal to buyers.

When we asked our readers for their thoughts on OnePlus switching from the alert slider to a customizable button on future flagships, over 70 percent seemed to think it was a stupid move. Only 22 percent of those who voted were fine with getting a remappable button instead of the iconic alert slider. So, unless OnePlus and OPPO have already set things in stone, it might be wise for the companies to stick with the alert slider instead of apeing Apple.