One Plus scuttles plans to release StyleSwap covers – advises OnePlus 2 will support them

One Plus, the company who Never Settles has this morning announced that due to a number of factors they have had to halt production of their StyleSwap covers for the One Plus One.

The covers, which One Plus announced in the lead up to the launch of the One Plus One, were to replace the battery cover on the phone. The covers were to be,available in five different textures – Silk, Sandstone, Denim, Bamboo, and Kevlar, but the Bamboo cover in particular has been singled out as a factor in the ‘complicated decision’ to halt production, with One Plus advising :

The number of Bamboo StyleSwap covers that have passed our Quality Assurance tests is much lower than we had hoped.

There were also issues with the process of removing and replacing the rear cover, which One Plus admitted could be better, saying:

we know that we could have designed the removal process of the back covers better; it’s tricky and makes frequent switches difficult. The swap can also leave the back cover slightly creaky or loose, and it risks damage to the battery which is exposed for a short time.

It’s not completely the end of the road for textured rear covers, with One Plus advising they are investigating releasing special limited edition One Plus One phones with a Kevlar or Denim rear cover. They’ve also advised people with issues with their sandstone cover to refer to a thread on their forums for replacement.

Not great news if you were hoping for more personalisation options for your One Plus One. The good news – if you can call it that – is that the next One Plus phone, the One Plus 2 will be better designed to handle replaceable battery covers. Now to start the rumour mill on the One Plus 2.

Does lack of rear cover replacements affect your decision to purchase a One Plus One?