The OnePlus 3 was unveiled on Tuesday, June 14th, with a $399 price tag. We\u2019d heard that there would be a $300 model, but OnePlus decided to ditch the idea and go for a metal unibody phone with a competitive yet premium price tag. After all the fanfare died around the OnePlus 3, some were asking whether or not OnePlus would release a successor to the budget-friendly OnePlus X, which retailed for around $ \u00a0 when it was released. The Chinese manufacturer now says that it no longer plans to release a successor to the OnePlus X, but will instead pursue the flagship title and concentrate on the OnePlus 3, a device that seems to knock on the door of most flagships (if not topples them over).<\/p>\n
As quoted by the source concerning the OnePlus mindset and approach, \u201cOnePlus will instead focus on just one \u2018true flagship\u2019 line from now on in order to strengthen its foundation,\u201d with one flagship instead of two. The Chinese company that made its presence known by selling well-built devices at a cheap price is no longer aiming for the cheap end. From now on, you\u2019ll have to pony up $400+ to get a OnePlus 3 handset if you live in the US. The OnePlus X flagship is no more.<\/p>\n
The OnePlus 3 was just launched this week, with OnePlus having traded in the IPS LCD display with its washed-out colors for Samsung\u2019s Super AMOLED panel that the company \u201cremarketed\u201d as \u201cOptic AMOLED\u201d (it\u2019s a fancy name for the same thing as a Samsung Super AMOLED panel), removing the removable battery option that had existed on prior models, and implementing a metal unibody that no longer makes the back cover removable and customizable. Of course, you can still choose to have some form of customization regarding the back cover, but OnePlus now manufactures this in-house without having to make the battery cover removable so that you can do it. The latest device, the OnePlus 3, looks as if it\u2019s an iPhone running stock Android, which is what many tech-savvy consumers have longed for in the tech world, but it\u2019s not everyone\u2019s preferred \u201ccoffee flavor.\u201d Some consumers want more software features and customization, not dazzling designs that just feel good in the hand but do little else.<\/p>\n
This is an interesting turn of events, but what this shows us is that both Pete Lau and Carl Pei are no longer interested in low-end, budget-friendly offerings. Putting their eggs in the flagship basket may just be the best move they ever made. What it also shows us is that companies that want to make it in the business can sell budget-friendly offerings, but once they get serious about beating their rivals, they\u2019ll give up the inexpensive handset idea.<\/p>\n