Depending on who you ask, OnePlus is either the best or worst thing to happen to the smartphone industry. Owners of the OnePlus One (the company’s first and only device) fawn over the high specs and low price tag, while would-be owners complain about its exclusivity and lack of availability.
Looking back on the company after one year of conducting business, one thing remains true no matter what side of the fence you’re on: The OnePlus One is the best smartphone you can buy because you won’t find this hardware at a cheaper price.
The only problem is you probably can’t buy it.
The One
When the OnePlus One was announced earlier this year with the low price tags of $299 (16GB) and $349 (64GB), Android fans around the world rejoiced. There was finally a high-end device that didn’t compromise in any respect and didn’t cost an exorbitant amount of money. Unfortunately — and much to their dismay — the only way to get one was through a special invite system.
To date, 500,000 units of the One have been sold. This may not seem like a huge number when compared to popular handsets like the Apple iPhone 6 or Samsung Galaxy S5, but keep in mind OnePlus did this with an advertising budget of only $300.
OnePlus also sells their phone at half the price of the competition.
In an era where smartphone manufacturers are spending millions of dollars to get your attention and charging nearly $1,000 for their devices, OnePlus is selling their product only to those who seek it and is barely making a profit.
They do this by staying true to their mantra: “Never Settle.”
OnePlus One Specs
- Display: 5.5” 1080p 401ppi
- CPU: Quad-Core Snapdragon 801 2.5GHz
- GPU: Adreno 330 578MHz
- RAM: 3GB
- Storage: 16GB (White) 64GB (Black)
- Battery: 3100 mAh
- Camera: 13MP Rear / 5MP Front
- OS: Cyanogen 11S (Android 4.4)
If the hardware specs look familiar that’s because these are the same components found inside most high-end phones. The only difference is the low price tag which OnePlus is able to achieve by earning “a one-figure profit” on each sale. This razor-thin profit margin is also the reason why OnePlus can’t keep up with demand – hence the elusive invite system.
Finding an Invite is Worth the Hassle
The only ways to get an invite are to obtain one from someone who’s purchased the phone or wait for OnePlus to open up the sign up process for brief periods of time. This isn’t the most convenient way to buy a phone, but is worth the effort (and wait) if you don’t need to replace your current device right away.
Recently, OnePlus decided to open up sales on Black Friday for 72 hours and I jumped at the opportunity to purchase a 64GB model in Sandstone Black. And after having the phone in my hands for about a week I can confirm this is the best phone I’ve ever owned. To put my claims in perspective, I’ve owned every iPhone (minus the 6) and most recently the Nexus 5 (another high-spec/low-cost device).
Calling it “the best phone ever” is not hyperbole either; I mean it – and so does anyone who owns one.
“It’s hard to imagine a better phone for Android geeks. Too bad you can’t get one.”
– TIME Magazine’s “Phone of Dreams” OnePlus One Review
What makes the One so special is that it doesn’t try to stand out with gimmicks or “user enhancements.” Instead, the One offers you a barebones device at an affordable price that lets you decide for yourself what it should be. And the best part about it is that it’s powerful enough to do anything.
And after one year of doing business like this, it seems like OnePlus is now ready to go big in 2015.
Going Big with a Mini
OnePlus gave us a lot of presents on their birthday. Sales are currently open without an invite, one lucky Vine user will win a phone, a custom OnePlus ROM is in development, and a 10,000 mAh power bank that costs $15 will soon be available. But perhaps their biggest surprise wasn’t officially announced.
Leaked images of a OnePlus One Mini recently surfaced and they reveal another high-end device with impressive benchmarks. And if these images are true, we can safely assume that OnePlus plans to sell a lot more phones in 2015. Whether you need to know someone who owns one to purchase it, however, remains unknown.
I received some flak for excluding the OnePlus One from my 5 Best Smartphones of 2014 list earlier this month. I wrote that post after purchasing the One and my reasoning for omitting it was because it’s so hard to get. If I could write that post over it would still be sans OnePlus One. Not because it doesn’t deserve to be there, but because it belongs on a different list: The Best Smartphone Ever (if you can buy it).
What do you think? Is the OnePlus One the best smartphone ever? Is OnePlus revolutionizing the smartphone industry? Do you own the One? Let us know in the comments below!
