OnePlus Trades Iconic Alert Slider for a New AI-Powered Button

Tech
By 24matins.uk,  published 28 May 2025 at 9h42, updated on 28 May 2025 at 9h42.
Tech

OnePlus has decided to retire its iconic alert slider, a feature long appreciated by its users. In its place, the company is introducing a dedicated button designed specifically for artificial intelligence functions on upcoming smartphone models.

Tl;dr

  • OnePlus introduces the AI-powered Plus Key button.
  • AI Plus Mind saves and organizes on-screen information.
  • AI features to expand across all new OnePlus models.

    • A Strategic Leap for OnePlus

    After years of incremental updates, OnePlus has chosen a bold new path. The company recently unveiled its upcoming smartphones’ most notable change: the introduction of the Plus Key. This physical button, replacing the iconic Alert Slider, underlines a deliberate shift towards embedding artificial intelligence at the core of its devices. At first glance, it seems a mere redesign — but with a single press, users will unlock a suite of customizable actions, such as launching the camera or instantly translating content. The centerpiece, however, is a feature dubbed AI Plus Mind, signaling OnePlus’s deepening commitment to intelligent functionality.

    AI Plus Mind: Smart Information Management

    What makes AI Plus Mind compelling is its seamless approach to saving and organizing essential information from your screen. Whether it’s an appointment, travel details, or a snippet from an image or webpage, a quick tap on the Plus Key, or simply swiping up with three fingers, funnels that data into a special repository known as « Mind Space ». Here, everything is methodically sorted and easily retrievable using natural language searches—a user experience reminiscent of the Essential Key from Nothing, Carl Pei’s latest venture after co-founding OnePlus. This subtle lineage perhaps reveals more than coincidence.

    The Expanding AI Ecosystem at OnePlus

    Yet this push goes beyond just one feature. The brand is rolling out additional in-house AI tools aimed at transforming daily smartphone use:

  • AI VoiceScribe: Transcribes, summarizes, and translates calls and meetings within your preferred apps.
  • AI Translation: Unifies text, voice, camera, and on-screen translations under one intuitive app—clearly echoing aspects of Google Translate.
  • AI Search: Allows you to search for files and notes using everyday language queries.
  • AI Best Face 2.0: Coming later this summer, it promises to automatically enhance group photos by correcting closed eyes.

    Each of these additions demonstrates how seriously OnePlus is taking the race to deliver intelligent experiences right at users’ fingertips.

    A New Standard for Upcoming Models

    The rollout will begin with the upcoming OnePlus 13s, set for launch in Asia. Soon after, software updates will extend these AI capabilities—and that signature button—to every device in the OnePlus 13 series. Looking ahead, all future handsets bearing the OnePlus name are expected to feature this new physical key tailored for AI interaction. In an industry where marginal gains can tip the scales, such innovation could very well reshape expectations for what smartphones can do next.