If OnePlus Removes This Feature, Will They Just Be OPPO?

OnePlus has had a remarkable growth story ever since the company broke into the scene back in 2014. Even though it was owned by Chinese electronics major BBK Electronics — which also owns other smartphone brands like Oppo, Vivo, iQOO, and Realme, OnePlus stood out from the rest of the clan because of its focus on the Western market.

In the first few years of its existence, OnePlus managed to carve a niche by offering smartphones that marry compelling hardware specs with great software. These devices typically came with the same chipsets that powered the best, most powerful smartphones of the time but skimped upon less essential features like an official IP rating and wireless charging. This practice made them substantially affordable compared to flagships while offering near-equal performance.

Besides, the company's version of Android — OxygenOS — was known for its abundance of features while also being clean and free of the bloatware that one typically associated with affordable smartphones of the time. This also helped OnePlus phones attract a sizable fan following. Of late, however, there have been several actions on the part of the company that seems to dismantle the long-held belief of OnePlus being a fan-focused, community-oriented company. The most significant among these was the declaration of OnePlus as an Oppo subsidiary. Even though OnePlus fans have reacted negatively to these developments, OnePlus appears unfazed and is rumored to be working on making another significant change to its devices going forward.

Among the things that set most OnePlus smartphones apart from other devices was the presence of a physical alert slider. The function of this slider was to quickly let users switch the phone between standard and silent mode without having to fiddle with the display. Over the years, the alert slider has become a distinguishing feature on OnePlus devices.

Recent reports, however, indicate that OnePlus is looking to restrict the alert slider to select flagship-grade "Pro" devices from the company. The news of this change first came from noted Indian leaker Yogesh Brar who posted the expected specifications of the upcoming OnePlus 10/10T. According to Brar, this device, which will be positioned below the OnePlus 10 Pro, is likely to come sans the once-ubiquitous alert slider. In a subsequent tweet, Yogesh went on to add that the OnePlus Nord 2T — launched earlier this year — might just be the last mid-range OnePlus phone to sport the alert slider.

If not already evident, Yogesh affirms that the top-end OnePlus Pro series will continue to sport the iconic alert slider, at least for the foreseeable future. However, given how most mid-range devices from OnePlus of late have been rebranded Oppo devices with minimal changes to the hardware, the probability of the alert slider making it to another generation of OnePlus phones already seems doubtful.

The possibility of axing the OnePlus slider has given rise to concern among OnePlus fans about this being the final nail in the coffin of a design trait once exclusive to OnePlus phones. Most OnePlus fans and tech analysts have even termed this decision as one that completes the "Oppo-ification" of OnePlus — a gradual process that has been underway for over a year.

Some people — including leaker Nils Ahrensmeier — asserted that any new OnePlus flagship device without the alert slider could not even be termed a OnePlus phone anymore. He also argued that dropping the trademark alert slider does not make sense for OnePlus' flagship lineup while adding that the decision to remove them from less expensive devices was acceptable to some degree. While OnePlus is yet to explain the rationale behind these sweeping design changes that seem to affect its core user base, our initial assumption is that it is a cost-cutting move. 

The removal of the alert slider will make it easier for OnePlus to sell rebranded Oppo products as OnePlus devices in other markets with a simple change to the branding and software. While OnePlus used to do this rebranding exercise earlier, the physical changes were a bit more significant, which only added to the cost. It remains to be seen how OnePlus' already disheartened fans respond to this newest development. But, more importantly, will this change have any effect on the sales figures of OnePlus devices?