OnePlus Founder Hints at Return of Three-Position Slider Button on New Smartphone

Pete Lau, the founder of Chinese smartphone brand OnePlus, posted a picture of several mobile device parts to social media on October 13, with a caption reading “Coming Back.” The post also showed that it originated “from a OnePlus Ace Pro smartphone.” As web users surmised, the post indicates that OnePlus’s new smartphone will be equipped with a three-position slider button.

The three-position slider button is a classic design of OnePlus smartphones, unveiled with the release of the OnePlus 2 in July 2015. It allows users to directly switch between Ring (bottom position), Vibrate (middle), and Silent (top) modes.

Earlier, Lau said that OnePlus could be the only brand using Android to retain this design, costing hundreds of millions of dollars in five years, but receiving high praise from users. Many OnePlus users also said that once they used the three-position slider button, it is difficult to enjoy other phone models.

However, at the OnePlus Ace smartphone launch event in May this year, the brand cut off this unique design. Louis Li, President of OnePlus China, explained at the event that they canceled the three-position slider button on the Ace series, which was not a decision purely from the perspective of cost, but more a trade-off or balance. The button actually takes up significant space inside the phone.

SEE ALSO: OnePlus Unveils New Smartphone Ace Pro, Setting New Benchmark for Performance

Li pointed out that on the OnePlus Ace, they wanted to achieve first-class signal and heat dissipation, while also pursuing long-lasting battery life and fast charging at the same time. These components have high requirements for internal space of the phone, and the smartphone needs to be light and thin. After comprehensive evaluation, the brand made a choice and gave up the special button in the Ace series.

According to market sources, OnePlus will launch a new smartphone model before the end of the year. With the return of the three-position slider button, it is worth looking forward to.

In addition, it has been reported that OnePlus revealed some details about its upcoming Nord N300 model, which will support 33W wired charging. Spenser Blank, a spokesperson for OnePlus, said that it will be released in the North American market next month as the successor to the OnePlus N200. The N300 will be equipped with a MediaTek processor, and, like the N200, it will be equipped with a screen with a refresh rate of 90Hz.