- OnePlus has revealed the Plus Key, a new button positioned as a way to access the new OnePlus AI suite
- The Plus Key replaces the Alert Slider found on OnePlus phones since the OnePlus 2
- The Plus Key will come to all OnePlus phones launching this year
OnePlus has announced OnePlus AI, and while the Chinese company’s vision for mobile artificial intelligence comes mainly via new software, the list of changes includes an update to one of the brand’s most iconic hardware features.
The new Plus Key is a physical button that replaces the three-stage Alert Slider. The button can be customized in settings to activate one of several features, like opening the camera or starting a live translation.
The new hardware feature will make its debut with the OnePlus 13s, a China-only model previously known as the OnePlus 13 Mini in online rumor circles.
OnePlus has confirmed the Plus Key will come to all OnePlus smartphones rolling out this year – at a minimum we’d expect this to include the rumored OnePlus 14 and OnePlus 14R, which based on prior releases we’d expect to launch in China at the end of 2025 for global launch in 2026. Though note that OnePlus might skip the number 14 and call this the OnePlus 15 series instead.
By default, the Plus Key activates the new AI Plus Mind capture system, which saves a screenshot, plus an AI summary of the on-screen information, in the new AI Plus Mind app.
It’s this, alongside the timing of this hardware announcement, that illustrates OnePlus’ vision of the Plus Key as a part of the company’s AI strategy.
“It’s time for us to evolve”
At the official OnePlus AI reveal event, I spoke with Arthur Lam, director of OxygenOS and AI strategy at OnePlus, about how the Plus Key and AI Plus Mind work together.
“The thought process behind it was we wanted to bring AI that can empower you to do different things. And I think one of the biggest things was we live in this digital age where we have a lot of fragmented memories across multiple places” said Lam.
“We believe that this is not a software-only solution,” Lam continued, “it’s a hardware-software solution; that makes it uniquely OnePlus.”
When OnePlus announced the end of the Alert Slider, I wrote that I’d always found it to be a useful and charismatic addition to the brand’s handsets. However, even with the Alert Slider’s fan-favorite status, Lam tells me the company is confident that it’s time for an update.
“People ask us, ‘after using the Alert Slider for a decade, why are you changing it?’ Because now is the time, because it’s connected with your AI Plus Mind.”
“It makes sense for us to make changes. Even though we’ve been there for the last decade, and many of the users love it, we think it’s time for us to evolve it to the next generation.”
More than just a button
There’s more to OnePlus AI than just the Plus Key and AI Plus Mind – upcoming features include AI Translation, an AI Reframe tool for cropping photos, and AI VoiceScribe, which automatically transcribes phone calls.
With that said, the Plus Key is the most fully-fledged AI hardware feature we’ve seen on a smartphone so far – this AI-first approach could help OnePlus to differentiate the Plus Key from the iPhone’s Action Button, which clearly served as inspiration.
It’s also telling that OnePlus is willing to cut a well-loved feature like the Alert Slider for the AI-focused Plus Key. This suggests that OnePlus AI could be a major priority for the brand going forwards.
Personally, I’m a fan of the Alert Slider, but I think AI Plus Mind is a great idea, and a good enough feature to make the Plus Key seem novel and genuinely useful.
Be sure to keep up with our phones coverage for the latest updates as the Plus Key comes to more of the best OnePlus phones.
What do you think of the Plus Key? Will you miss the Alert Slider? Let us know in the comments below.
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jamie.richards@futurenet.com (Jamie Richards)
