While there was little doubt given the multiple sources, Carl Pei has taken to the OnePlus forums to confirm his exit from the company.
In his post, Pei reflects on the drive and the OnePlus focus on user experience:
The world didn’t need another smartphone brand in 2013. But we saw ways of doing things better and dreamt of shaking things up. Better products. Built hand in hand with our users. At more reasonable prices. Fast forward to today, and OnePlus is a strong force to be reckoned when it comes to flagship smartphones. And with the new Nord product line, this success will continue into new market segments.
We’ve been part of that at Ausdroid for some time, being lucky enough to get hands-on with their phones. We’ve seen some of the false steps along the way; right through to the major achievements in recent times. There is little doubt that OnePlus has made an impact on the market and is now considered by many to be a contender in a tight market.
He further noted the strength of the team at OnePlus, showing his confidence in them and the company as a whole to continue to kick goals and deliver great products. He closes with thanks to his co-founder, Pete Lau, and notes his excitement to catch up with family, rest and move on to his next adventure.
I am eternally grateful to Pete for taking a chance in this kid without a college degree, with nothing to his name but a dream. The trust, mentorship, and camaraderie will never be forgotten. Thanks for the opportunity of a lifetime.
I’ve never regretted trusting my gut feeling, and this time it’s no different. These past years, OnePlus has been my singular focus, and everything else has had to take a backseat. I’m looking forward to taking some time off to decompress and catch up with my family and friends. And then follow my heart on to what’s next.
With Pei’s exit, many will have their eyes on the development of the company’s executive team as well as the product development in the coming year or so. Will they return to their value for money offering or will they continue to push the envelope with technology?
They make a good phone but they settled a while ago. Expensive prices, limited distribution and going the way of Samsung with a new OS update that negates their best feature, a bloody good and clean OS.
Sad to see.
Well at least he was true to his slogan and never settled for working at only one company in his life. A shame that OnePlus phones “settled” for many things in many ways, like putting a screen upside down or settling for never having expandable storage. If there’s one thing I am not fond of its blatant and horrible hypocrisy, and OnePlus regularly settled for that.