OnePlus and Oppo to part ways with the signature ring switch, get iPhone-like Action Button instead
Aside from the great value, one of the signature features of OnePlus and Oppo phones is the three-way ring switch. This one lets you quickly switch between the silent, vibrate, and ring modes on the phone even without looking.
However, the days of this user-friendly feature might be numbered, and the OnePlus 13 could be the last OnePlus phone with a three-way ring switch. It is reportedly getting substituted with a brand-new button inspired by, you guessed it, Apple's iPhone.
According to recent rumors by tech insider Digital Chat Station, future OnePlus and Oppo phones might arrive with a customizable action button in the place of the ring switch, positioned on the upper-left side of the frame.
The upcoming hardware feature might be called "Rubik's Cube Key" or "Magic Cube Key", depending on what translation engine you prefer. A leaked interface picture reveals the button's positioning and modus operandi, heavily suggesting that it wouldn't be a toggle, but a button activated with a press or a click.
Whatever it may be called, this new button is spelling the doom and gloom of the ring switch (Image Cred
Digital Chat Station
The new button might be able to mute notifications, turn the flashlight on or off, take screenshots, capture photos, launch apps, and other features.
Although unclear, we assume that users will be able to map different phone features and functions for quick access with a single press. We suppose that double and triple-press actions might also be available, increasing the potential usefulness of the button.
This could make the Magic Cube Key more useful than the iPhone's Action Button, which currently only supports a single click/press functionality. However, resourceful iPhone users took it to themselves to do what Apple wouldn't let them.
As a reminder, current-gen Oppo phones like the not-too-shabby Oppo Find X8 Pro feature a pretty decent capacitive Quick Button on the side. This one lets you quickly launch the camera, zoom in and out, snap a photo or a video. The recent OnePlus 13, which shares a lot with the Oppo Find X8 Pro, didn't feature the same capacitive button.
However, we might see the new hardware key unveiled very soon, as an upcoming Oppo phone is the perfect candidate for it: the Oppo Find X8 Ultra due out sometime in March might feature this new button, and we can imagine that it will slowly be adopted on both Oppo's and OnePlus' device lineups.
Recently, both OnePlus and Oppo have emulated a ton of iOS features, like Live Photos (a 1:1 copy) and Dynamic Island-like widgets, so future devices scoring an Action Button of sorts is totally unsurprising.
One thing is for certain, fans of the two brands will likely bemoan the loss of the universally liked ring switch, this article's author included.
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