OnePlus just recently released their second ever smartphone, the OnePlus 2, and while not everyone is completely happy with it, we have to admit that marketing-wise, this relatively new brand has been doing a pretty good job of creating noise for its two products. In a new interview with USA Today, co-founder Carl Pei revealed that this will soon be three products, as they are planning to release another one later this year, and this time, it might be a mid-range device.
Saying that they might release it hopefully by Christmas, and reading between the lines of his interview, it will probably be a mid-range device since he said it will not be a higher spec’d than the current OnePlus 2, but saying that “it’s going to be amazing.” And if this is true, then they are entering the market at just the right time (or not) as a lot of the OEMs, like Samsung, LG, and Motorola are also focusing on that segment and gaining significant market share. OnePlus would have to price it just right and have the specs a little bit better so they can compete.
Pei shared that when he first saw the prototype of the third device, he wanted it to become his main unit. But when he saw the production version of the OnePlus 2, he was torn. In the interview, he also explained the reason why they decided to leave out the NFC feature, which flagship devices normally have. He says that very few people are actually using it and that the “entire issue is overblown”. And if NFC does catch up in terms of usage both from consumers and retailers, then by that time, people would have moved on to the next device, and so another OnePlus would probably be in the market.
He didn’t reveal any details yet as to what stage they are in the other smartphone they will be launching and when exactly they will announce it. Pei did say that they are targeting to become the third major OEM, together with Apple and Samsung, in the next five years. That’s a high target, but let’s wait and see.
SOURCE: USA Today
