The OnePlus 2, like all OnePlus devices so far, is a pretty good phone at a great price. The biggest downside to ownership, in fact, has been how difficult OnePlus makes it to actually own one. That changes tonight.
Until now, OnePlus had sold the OnePlus 2 through an arcane system of reservation lists and invites. Supply lagged woefully behind demand. It was frustrating.
The reason for the invite system, according to OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei, has been to help ensure that the fledgling company grows at a sustainable rate. One reason OnePlus can offer bargain basement prices on top shelf phones is that the company knows it has a buyer for every phone it manufactures. The annoyance of invites, Pei reckons, beats potentially ruinous amounts of unsold inventory.
That stance appears to have softened, at least with the company’s flagship OnePlus 2.
“The invite system has been crucial to letting us scale our operations and has given our fans a unique way to share OnePlus with the people in their lives,” writes Pei. “But we are always trying to enhance the OnePlus experience for you and taking risks to push ourselves and show real improvements. That’s why we’re making the OnePlus 2 invite-free … forever.”
The switch goes into effect at midnight on December 5th. Bear in mind that this doesn’t mean you necessarily should buy a OnePlus 2; while its $330 price tag is plenty appealing, it doesn’t quite measure up to the flagships it tries to emulate. If you’re in the market for a cheap but good Android phone, the Nexus 5x and Moto X Pure are better phones for just a little bit more money. Or, if you want to go even cheaper, the perfectly competent Moto G costs $180, and is available any time you like.
What’s more exciting about the OnePlus 2 going invite-free is that it may signal that OnePlus has finally gotten its manufacturing process in order, or at least something closer to it. The company has been actively exploring alternative sales methods for its latest device, the $250 OnePlus X, which will be invite-free this weekend as well. OnePlus appears to be that much closer to the simplest alternative at all: exchanging money for goods, no invite required.
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