16GB OnePlus 2 removed from US market, lack of demand cited

The 16GB OnePlus 2 has been removed from consumer access in the US due to extremely low demand.

The 16GB OnePlus 2 was at an all-time low of $329, making it even more affordable than the LG/Google Nexus 5 was at its debut ($445 with taxes in the US in 2013). At the same time, however, there are well-known smartphones out there in the same price range, such as LG’s newest Nexus 5X, that retails for $349 for the 16GB model, and $399 for the 32GB model. The Nexus 5X will get updates directly from Google, as opposed to the OnePlus 2, a device that will get updates some weeks and months after Nexus device owners.

Apart from price and updates, OnePlus has really made a mess of its #flagship killer social media campaign that saw its Co-Founder, Carl Pei, admit to the company’s more unwise moments. The OnePlus 2, unfortunately, doesn’t have anything to set itself apart from the onslaught of Android smartphones available on the market. Limited availability for the OnePlus 2, with only certain days to buy it, as opposed to having every day to, along with the hype that it would be a “flagship killer” with the absence of NFC (which is necessary for mobile payments), are the major reasons behind why OnePlus hasn’t been successful at selling the OnePlus 2.

Some have said that the 64GB OnePlus 2 has been more successful with consumers. While this seems credible, what doesn’t seem credible for OnePlus is to not report any sales numbers on the OnePlus 2. The simple fact is that, while we continue to hear that consumers are growing in their demand for OnePlus, there are few numbers to substantiate that claim.

Android is large, with a number of manufacturers, and, as is the case with any competition, just being good is not good enough. So, OnePlus may have an inexpensive winner in the OnePlus 2, but it has to compete with two inexpensive winners in the Nexus 6P and Nexus 5X — making the OnePlus 2 a hard sell.