OnePlus CEO discusses a second device to be launched before Christmas

The launch of OnePlus’ second phone, the OnePlus 2 on Tuesday last week, there has been a lot of news come to the fore, including Carl Pei’s that OnePlus would be releasing a second smartphone this year.

The comment regarding a second phone being launched this year, which Pei said he hoped would be launched (if not on-sale) before Christmas was made in an interview with USAToday, which saw Pei advise :

It may or may not be (higher spec’d than the OnePlus 2). When I saw the prototype for that phone I was like ‘holy s— that’s going to be my daily driver’ but then when the OnePlus 2 production version came out it’s also super nice, so its really hard to decide now what to use.

Of course, when you’ve just released your second flagship, you don’t announce you have a second device coming which ‘may or may not’ have higher specs than what you’ve just launched.

With invites to purchase still not available, and phones still not yet on-sale, some fans have become justifiably worried that a OnePlus 3 will go on-sale later this year, superceding the OnePlus 2 ‘2016 Flagship Killer’ in a metaphorical blink of an eye. Following the interview with USAToday, Pei was later spotted replying to a concerned customers tweet asking if this new phone would be “better” that the OnePlus2.

.@Sosi88 OnePlus 3 will be released in 2016, probably H2. Don't panic.

— Carl Pei (@getpeid) August 3, 2015

Pei’s somewhat cryptic response that the OnePlus3 is due out in 2016, leaves a lot of space for questions, I doubt anyone was thinking the ‘teased’ device would be the OnePlus 3, but that doesn’t mean it won’t be in some way a comparable or better device.

For a company marred by marketing and PR issues, one would ask why the CEO would allow such doubt to be cast. Is this another ploy in OnePlus’s low budget marketing strategy, or another indication the OnePlus is still learning how to present itself in this fast paced industry?

So, should you be buying the OnePlus 2? Well, if you’ve decided that the very well discussed ‘missing’ components from the OnePlus 2 don’t actually matter, similar to what Carl Pei and OnePlus have been saying, we think you’ll be fine. There’s been a number of rumours floating about since the beginning of the year that OnePlus is working on a smaller, ‘mid-range’ device to offer to the extremely budget conscious fans of the OnePlus.

No doubt, we’ll see another ‘#HYPE’ campaign for OnePlus in the lead-up to the announcement of this next phone, which will shed light on its place in the OnePlus device line-up.

Are you interested in seeing what second device OnePlus would choose to launch along their latest “Flagship killer”? Hit us up in the comments and let us know if OnePlus is on your Christmas list?