The great “iPhone vs. Android” debate could go on forever before either side achieves complete victory. Both platforms have pros and cons for companies producing hardware and software. However, with its only competitor leaving the stage, there is one area where the iPhone is left alone.
Although it’s still more than a week away from its official reveal, OnePlus has announced that the upcoming 10T will not support the “mute switch”. This switch had the same function as the switch on iPhones, where you can mute the phone with a single move. OnePlus chief designer Hope Liu said in an interview with The Verge that the switch had to be given up to make room inside the phone for “high-voltage charging, large battery capacity, and better antenna signal.”
While Liu’s description of the design is correct, we can say that this shortcoming is a pity for the fans of the brand. OnePlus was the only Android OEM to include a hardware switch designed to turn sound alerts on or off, and it’s one of the features it’s known for. OnePlus’ switch allowed you to move the slider to three different positions. One of them kept alerts enabled, the other turned on silent mode, and the third set it to vibrate. OnePlus 10T users will now need to use software controls to set the phone to mute or vibrate like most Android devices on the market.
Therefore, Apple has become the only smartphone manufacturer to have such a hardware key on its devices. So, if you want to have the ability to mute your phone without looking at it or taking it out of your pocket, you will need to buy an iPhone or an older OnePlus device. If OnePlus doesn’t back down from its decision, the 10 Pro, which it launched in March of this year, will be the last Android with a mute switch.
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