According to Carl Pei, co-founder of OnePlus, the company is planning to release its fourth smartphone offering, the OnePlus 3, at the end of the first half of this year. Pei has not provided any more details about the OnePlus 3 device, but for sure, the smartphone will be promoted as the latest flagship device from the Chinese phone maker.
Pei is hoping that the OnePlus 3 will attract buyers just like what the company’s first smartphone offering, the OnePlus One, did when it was released back in 2014. OnePlus is said to be debuting a new design for its fourth smartphone release, which means that for its upcoming handset, the China based mobile manufacturer is really veering away from the current flagship, the OnePlus 2.
When it was first introduced, the OnePlus One had the element of surprise -- simply put, mobile users have not seen anything like it before. By the time the company launched its follow up, the OnePlus 2, the freshness had faded a bit, although as far as specifications and features were concerned, the OnePlus 2 actually impressed. By introducing a new design with the OnePlus 3, the company is hoping it can appeal to Android users again.
Having started only in 2013, OnePlus is a relatively new entrant to the smartphone business. But it had already managed to compete with other high profile premium smartphones in the market, including Samsung’s Galaxy S5 and LG’s G3 devices. It helped that OnePlus’ handset came with a less expensive price but delivered in terms of high end specifications.
And although OnePlus is not as big as Samsung or Apple, it can boast a fair legion of fans who are loyal. Quite an achievement for a phone maker that employs an invitation approach to selling its smartphones. That exclusivity may have contributed to its cool factor, generating even more buzz for the company’s products. Its latest smartphone offering for instance, the OnePlus X, was only available via invitation in the first three months of its release, although the device has since been made widely available to all interested parties.
As for the upcoming OnePlus 3, it will be launched in the United States and other markets outside the country as an unlocked handset, and will be distributed directly by OnePlus. Moreover, the phone maker has stated that it will continue to provide free shipping for its smartphones, and will accept payments made via credit cards (previously, it accepted payments by way of PayPal).
