I know that I have already written one piece today on the OnePlus One but I thought I would further disappoint everyone just a little bit more. First it was the lack of availability to Australia but for those who really want this phone that was a mere speed bump in the road to geek heaven (a new tech toy). All we would do is logon to the OnePlus website and buy it, ship it to the US mail forwarder and all is good right? Unfortunately not.
OnePlus early on said that they will have a new way to sell the phone, promising a new experience when buying the phone. It seems they are set to deliver that. They did not want a pre-order system where customers had to wait a long time for the phone to be delivered. They did not want to sell in batches where customers who miss out on the first batch then have to wait while they manufactured more (remember the Nexus 4 debacle?). Their solution to these problems are to have the OnePlus Invite System.
The OnePlus Invite System
A friend sends you an invite, you claim it while being 100% sure that you’ll actually be able to buy it, and it ships within a few days. So in the true spirit of the OnePlus name, a good product gets spread by word of mouth, shared among friends for that extra personalized touch.
So how do you get an invite? You need to get invited by a friend who already have invites. Invites will also be made available through contests and on this forum (you have not been forgotten). Once you’ve bought a OnePlus One, you’ll also become eligible to invite your friends in the future.
In the beginning, they’ll be available in limited quantities, but as time progresses they’ll become easier and easier to come by.
Yes. That is correct. You can’t just logon and buy the phone, which would be nice. You have to attempt to obtain a ticket by other means. Winning one, having someone send you one and unfortunately I think there will be some people who put them on eBay.
Does this, combined with the snub of Australia put you off buying one (like it has one Ausdroid editor who shall remain nameless)? Personally I will still be attempting to buy one and I suggest anyone else still interested head on over to the OnePlus Forums, register and keep an eye out for ways to get an invite, and if you have any to spare, send one our way.
Well I have been impressed by the publicity they have generated.
I hope its a decent phone after all this.
well, that is true isn’t it. They’ve gone about it the right way. They’ve got some impressive specs. They’ve got the CM Inc team who have incidentally just hired Supercurio (famous for his screen calibration and sound enhancement work) to work on the screen and sound of the OnePlus. They have also expanded by hiring some of the top custom rom developers. Let’s hope that the whole package at the end does not disappoint. If it is an awesome phone it may open up a whole heap of opportunities and options to us enthusiasts.
Today’s events have put the OneMinus One on my Do Not Buy list
yeah. it does leave a bitter taste in the mouth. but maybe that’s just because it is different- If i get an invite then it’s the best system ever but if i don’t then it’s a massive failure! 😀
And with obtaining any of the possible initial invites, being locked to only for OneMinus One forum members or conpetition winners, it makes it less likely that users interested in the device will have a chance to obtain one.
Build up the envy and resentment, and you turn possible supporters and grass roots promoters, into detractors.
yeah- i think that’s the tightrope they are walking. I am assuming their theory is that those who really want one of the first batches will be members of their forums and those who follow them on their social media platforms. Then they will increase manufacturing as they see an increase in demand for the product. They keep intimating in the threads on OnePlus that all fans and followers will get an invite. Let’s hope it is that easy. Even after all this, if you get offered one Jeni would you buy it? I would.
As far as the specs go, currently I’m in the wait and see camp, Scott.
Just waiting to find out whether or not it has a microSD slot.
If it doesn’t have a microSD slot, then for me, it’s a definite no sale.