Skip to main content

Does the OnePlus 10T have an alert slider? What OnePlus fans need to know

The OnePlus 10T is OnePlus’ latest flagship smartphone. It’s proudly marketed with a Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset, 120Hz display, and 125W wired charging. But for fans of OnePlus’s iconic alert slider, there’s some bad news.

All OnePlus flagships come with an alert slider that lets you switch between Sound, Vibrate, and Mute modes. Personally, I use it a lot when I’m using a OnePlus phone. It’s easy and intuitive. While the feature isn’t a necessary addition, it helps give identity to OnePlus phones. The company stands out from a sea of other slab smartphones by providing the Alert Slider. But with the OnePlus 10T, the Chinese phone manufacturer has made a surprising decision.

The OnePlus 10T and OnePlus 10 Pro lying a wood desk next to each other.
The OnePlus 10 Pro laying on top of the OnePlus 10T. Joe Maring/Digital Trends

The OnePlus 10T does not have an alert slider. In fact, it’s the first global flagship device from OnePlus to ship without the famed mute switch. The company says that it wasn’t an easy decision and a lot of thought process went into designing their upcoming T flagship, which represents a “holistic performance upgrade for users,” as per OnePlus. But with the OnePlus 10T, the company has evolved the device’s upgrades beyond improvements to speed alone. To achieve this goal, removing the alert slider was a necessary trade-off.

Why there’s no alert slider on the OnePlus 10T

The decision to remove the alert slider on the OnePlus 10T was three-fold. As per the company, the removal of the alert slider on the OnePlus 10T resulted in OnePlus providing high-wattage charging, a large battery capacity, and a better antenna signal. “To excel in each of these three areas, the space inside the OnePlus 10T needs to be occupied by new technology,” wrote OnePlus in a blog post.

The OnePlus 10T packs fast charging that requires the device to have two charging pumps. For context, the OnePlus 10 Pro is equipped with a single charging pump. Hence, OnePlus is doubling the space required for the 10T’s charging pumps, which limits the space inside the device to include an alert slider. OnePlus admits that if it had kept the alert slider, the maximum battery capacity on the OnePlus 10T would have been 4,500 mAh. But by removing the alert slider, OnePlus was able to equip the 10T with a 4,800 mAh battery.

The side of the OnePlus 10T, showing the camera.
Andy Boxall/Digital Trends

Next up is gaming, which is said to be an integral part of the performance of the OnePlus 10T. OnePlus has added an improved antenna for gaming that delivers better signal performance when holding the device horizontally. This new antenna system is comprised of 15 separate antennas around the 10T’s body, which was only made possible by the removal of the alert slider.

These technologies resulted in the increased layout utilization rate of the OnePlus 10T’s motherboard to 78%, which is up from OnePlus’ typical standard of 74%. The alert slider might appear to be a very small component, but “it actually has a relatively large impact on the device’s motherboard area – taking up 30mm,” says OnePlus.

OnePlus goes on to say, “While retaining the alert slider, we would have had to stack the device’s motherboard, which would have made the device thicker. Therefore, we decided to remove our signature alert slider this time so we could deliver these technologies while retaining a first-class hand feel.”

In conclusion, the OnePlus 10T doesn’t have an alert slider because OnePlus wanted to deliver better antenna signals, high-wattage charging, and a larger battery capacity while maintaining the slim in-hand feel. At least that’s what OnePlus says. Could the company have made an alert slider fit into the 10T if it really wanted to? Probably! But, at least for this particular OnePlus device, the alert slider has been axed.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Prakhar Khanna
Prakhar writes news, reviews and features for Digital Trends. He is an independent tech journalist who has been a part of the…
Does the OnePlus 11 come with a charger? Here’s what you get in the box
OnePlus 11 with charging block and cable.

Ever since Apple released the iPhone 12 lineup, it stopped including a charger in the box. And it didn't take long for other manufacturers to follow suit and do the same. Though the charger may be removed from most phones today, the charging cable itself still comes with most devices. So, does the OnePlus 11 come with a charger?

Not everyone has multiple charging bricks lying around the house, nor do they always use their computers to charge up. As such, knowing whether or not a manufacturer includes a charger in the box is an important bit of information. If you're thinking about buying the OnePlus 11 but aren't sure about the charging situation, here's what you need to know.
The OnePlus 11 does come with a charger

Read more
Is the OnePlus 11 waterproof, and does it have an IP rating?
The back of the OnePlus 11 against some ice.

You’re about to buy a OnePlus 11, but want to know if the phone has any degree of protection from the wet stuff. Is the OnePlus 11 waterproof, and does it have an IP rating?

This is an important question to ask before buying any smartphone. As careful as you may think you are with your devices, life happens. All it takes is one accident to drop your phone in the sink, get caught in the rain with it, or for it to take a tumble in the pool. If you have an IP rating, these things aren't a big deal. But if not, you're in for a headache.
The OnePlus 11 is waterproof (sort of)

Read more
Does the OnePlus 11 have a headphone jack? What you need to know
The USB-C port on the OnePlus 11.

As mobile hardware continues to be iterated on, it can be hard to know what to expect from new flagship models — especially as new features are added and old ones are removed. Because of the wide range of smartphones the company offers, it can be a little tough to nail down what specific hardware features are offered with OnePlus phones. As such, you end up with people asking questions like, "Does the OnePlus 11 have a headphone jack?"

The OnePlus 11 is a solid follow-up to the OnePlus 10 Pro, but prospective buyers are looking to get some questions answered about the flagship's hardware before taking the plunge and buying in. One thing that's important to many people is a headphone jack, which has become a rarity on even the best phones in 2023.
The OnePlus 11 does not have a headphone jack

Read more