This Android phone maker is killing its best feature, and I'm sad to see it go

Phone Arena

5 days ago

I've been partial to OnePlus phones ever since their hard-to-forget debut more than a decade ago, and ever since, the company's devices have had a dedicated spot in my heart through the ups and downs.
Most of the time, I've tried to change the things I can't accept and struggled to accept whatever I couldn't change. This applies to both major hardware and software revamps alike. To be honest, OnePlus rarely took a misstep and usually delivered on both fronts, which is the reason my Top 10 list of all-time favorite phones has a particularly strong OnePlus presence.
Yet, with the OnePlus 15, a pretty major paradigm shift is set to take place, one that I'm not really ready to accept so easily.
OnePlus is likely killing the iconic three-way ring switcher, also known as alert slider.
In its place, we're most certainly getting a customizable button: a classic case of fixing what isn't broken. The writing has been on the wall for some time. Over the course of 2025, I used the OnePlus 13 and the Oppo Find X8 Pro, and both were pretty much perfect in most ways in comparison with their Android peers, even more so when you factor in the very competitive pricing of the international models. Both had the signature ring switchers, and everything was fine and dandy.
I could easily flip the switch to change between the silent, vibrate, and ring modes on either phone without even needing to take out the phone out of my pocket. The haptic feedback indicated which mode was enabled.
I also wanted to use the Oppo Find X8 Ultra despite its Chinese ROM, which introduced too many hurdles for regular everyday usage. That one came with a customizable Shortcut button on the side, inspired by the Apple's Action Button. You can map different features, which are somewhat limited in their scope. For example, you can't map a custom shortcut, you can only pick between the following rather limited selection.
This button positioned where a three-way switch should usually sit immediately irked me the wrong way. It simply felt unnatural to handle a OnePlus/Oppo device without the one external button I've been cherishing for north of a decade.
Yes, you can customize this Shortcut button, and changing the rng modes is one of the available features. But it only changes those modes in a sequence, so you can't really go from ringing mode to completely silent with a simple flick of the button; you have to long-press this new button and count the vibrations to know what mode you've just enabled. That's totally unnatural and unintuitive in comparison with the standard hardware ring switch.
Provided that OnePlus goes the way of its parent company and adopts this Shortcut button with a different time, I can't imagine the experience will be much different with the upcoming OnePlus 15.
It just doesn't feel the same, and you can't convince me otherwise. What are the reasons for the removal of the ring switch? OnePlus CEO Pete Lauexplained that the company is ready to part ways some of its identity because:
Valid. Customization is important, and you can't really do much else with the standard ring switch aside from, well, change the ring modes.
But the solution has been clear to anybody who doesn't lack critical thinking: instead of substituting the ring switch for a customizable action button, just give us both!
The situation here isn't "either/or"; there's plenty of physical space to accommodate both a switch and a customizable button on the left edge of a modern smartphone. We can absolutely have the best of both worlds and call it a day. Those who love the standard ring switch will be satisified, and those seeing the utility of a customizable button will be able to tailor the experience to themselves.
We can absolutely have both, and OnePlus will not lose the little left of its unique identity in the vast Android phone market
The ring switch that was introduced along with the OnePlus 2 exactly ten years ago slowly but steadily became one of my favorite hardware features, a quietly genius functionality that added a lot of value at the expense of nothing. It's been a highlight of all OnePlus devices up until now, one that I've subconsciously desired to get copied on all other Android phones out there.
We've lost quite a lot of iconic hardware features on our smartphones over the years:The 3.5mm audio jack.The microSD card slot.The LED notification light. The removable battery. The compact flagship phone. FM radio support.Easy bootloader unlocking and custom ROM modding.
The list is long and brings back some painful memories to those who have actively used smartphones for more than a decade ago, back in the golden days of Android.
Will I use the OnePlus 15? You can bet I will be at the front of the queue when it enters the premises of PhoneArena.
Will I use the OnePlus 15? Of course, I am always dailying a OnePlus flagship once it releases, and I can't let that tradition go to waste. However, I can already sense the sour aftertaste from the lack of one of the last signature Android features that will mark the end of an era.
The adaptation to the post-ring switch times will be a tough one, that's for certain.