The OnePlus One "flagship killer" will be available without an invite from now on, allowing interested customers to purchase the smartphone anytime.
Ever since its debut, the OnePlus One smartphone has proved to be quite popular worldwide due to the fact that it offers high-end specifications at a budget-friendly price point. The OnePlus One costs a fraction of the cost of other smartphones with similar specifications on board, and price is a key aspect in a device's popularity.
OnePlus teased a special announcement for Monday, April 20, and the general belief was that the company would unveil the next-generation OnePlus 2 smartphone. Instead, OnePlus made an announcement regarding the OnePlus One, without unveiling any new device. Here's the deal.
OnePlus shook the mobile stage last year with its high-end flagship killer, but received lots of criticism over the way it decided to make the smartphone available. The OnePlus One launched on an invite-only basis, which meant that many interested customers did not get a change to buy the handset because they didn't have an invite. The company later moved to pre-orders, and eventually started selling the OnePlus One without an invite on each Tuesday.
To celebrate the one-year anniversary of its OnePlus One smartphone, the company has now announced that it will ditch the infamous invite-only system for good, making the handset freely available for sale in all markets where it is available.
On the other hand, it's worth pointing out that the company is only ditching this invite-only system for the OnePlus One. The next-generation model, the OnePlus 2, will unfortunately be available on the same invite-based system when it launches later this year.
"With the experiences we've gained with the One, we will be far more prepared to make the same transition with the OnePlus 2. Yes, the 2 will initially launch with invites. We're committed to maintaining razor-thin margins in order to give as much value as possible back to our users, and this drastically increases our risk. The OnePlus 2 will bring the challenges that come along with a brand new product, and initially, our invite system will help us to manage that risk. It also helps us to be sure that every OnePlus 2 user gets the amazing experience that they deserve," OnePlus explained in a company blog post on Monday, April 20.
The company did not offer any specific information regarding when the OnePlus 2 will make its official debut, or how much it will cost when it does. For now, the OnePlus One is still the current flagship, and fans can purchase the smartphone any day of the week, without having to go through hoops.
