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Here's why OnePlus is the coolest phone maker

androidpit OnePlus 2 hero 9
© nextpit

OnePlus set forth its philosophy from the start, seeming to emerge ready-made for an overlooked niche. The manufacturer, in typical startup fashion, built big dreams. What was unusual was that it seemed capable of fulfilling them, and doing it with flare. Here's why OnePlus is the coolest smartphone maker there is.

oneplus 2 vs oneplus 1 camera
The OnePlus One and OnePlus 2 are the company's 2014 and 2015 flagships. / © ANDROIDPIT

Build it and they will come

When Pete Lau left Oppo, it was surprising, coming off the back of a string of successes. But when he founded OnePlus with fellow former Oppo employee Carl Pei all became clear. The duo had the vision to sell phones through e-commerce, forgoing the traditional marketing routes. Founding OnePlus in 2013, they quickly built their hyperbole machine, which produced the mantra "never settle" and images of the dream smartphone, which married high-end hardware with high-end design, all while keeping things at an affordable retail price.

It's impossible to talk about OnePlus without talking about its invite system

The company quickly proved at least one thing: it was very adept at marketing. OnePlus held fun, slightly ridiculous competitions, produced tounge-in-cheek accessories and, as is well known, introduced its invite system.

AndroidPIT iPhone 6 case OnePlus 2
Invites and ironic accessories have forged the OnePlus mythos. / © ANDROIDPIT

An absurdly perfect blend

It's impossible to talk about OnePlus without talking about its invite system. Initially there to ensure that demand did not swell beyond the burgeoning company's ability to supply, the outward, no-doubt intentional, result was that the company's smartphones quickly attained an allure far beyond their reality. Denied the chance of having one, everyone wanted one.

Through a deliberate exploitation of the slightly absurd, OnePlus offers something that you just don't see on any other smartphones

But that's not to say that OnePlus phones offer a mundane reality. The OnePlus X, in particular, is a stunning device, in my opinion, the best looking smartphone since the iPhone 4. The only corners cut were those finely rounded ones on the body of the device itself.

oneplus x 6
The OnePlus X has cult classic written all over it. / © ANDROIDPIT

Through a deliberate exploitation of the slightly absurd, OnePlus offers something that you just don't see on any other smartphones, things like fire-baked ceramic back plates and anodized metal frames etched with microcuts. Essentially, these things are unnecessary, but there's no denying how good they sound, and, most importantly, they look incredible. Ultimately, they also provide OnePlus an edgy advantage over its competitors.

Set phasers to mainstream

OnePlus comes from a background of deliberate exclusivity and geek appeal. When the OnePlus One was announced, it generated an Android underground hum that does not come along often. If Nexus devices are lightsabers, the OnePlus One was a limited-edition rebel alliance espresso machine, once brushed by the gloved hand of the late Darth Vader.

oneplus 3 leak
Is this the OnePlus 3? / © Weibo

Now, the OnePlus 3 is beginning to take shape on the horizon, and the company has come a long way from being that six-month-old startup that launched the OnePlus One. Its invite system has been dissolving, it signed a $300,000 dollar deal with Netflix to appear in House of Cards, and it's capable of meeting much higher numbers of orders.

With a mainstream breakthrough balanced on its new flagship, the question is, can OnePlus keep it's cool?

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Chris Marshall

Chris Marshall
Junior Editor

Chris is a graduate in English and Philosophy and habitual tamperer with technology. A recent convert to Android, through the marvel of the Samsung Galaxy S6, he looks to share the fruits of this technological honeymoon through AndroidPIT.

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  • Chuck Jones 7
    Chuck Jones Apr 27, 2016 Link to comment

    Wow!. How much did Oneplus pay you for this glowing article?
    Nothing was mention at all about the Oneplus failings.
    The insane 'Invites, the failed marketing, The badly designed Oneplus Two, The lack of 802.11ac in the X, the failed implementation of Type-C cables and phone port, continually out of stock of items in the accessories store, the very big epic failure of Android 6, to name just a few!!
    How about the terrible customer service, the atrocious Warranty service?


  • CJ Brown 29
    CJ Brown Apr 25, 2016 Link to comment

    I will never argue against OnePlus's design & build - because those are their strongest selling points!


    I will continue to not join the Fanboy / Fangirl OnePlus Circus, because I don't think their attitude is inviting (I already mention that our relationship with CyanogenMod was a huge let down) - and I think Enos members have shown there are other manufacturers where getting accessories isn't such a pain!


  • 18
    Deactivated Account Apr 18, 2016 Link to comment

    Everything is awesome but they should work on after sales supports. Good network of after sales support shows how serious a company is regarding their products and customer's satisfaction. Customer & company's relation not ends when we get product & company gets money.
    That's the beginning to establish good rapport for long term which is always beneficial for any company.

    CJ BrownStefan Mathia


  • 12
    joost Apr 17, 2016 Link to comment

    They should do something about shipping costs, every time i want to order accesoiries for my x, i have to pay like 25 us to get it in my home. That is why my next phone would prob be a moto G again!

    CJ Brownstorm


  • 31
    Deactivated Account Apr 17, 2016 Link to comment

    No No No...lol
    for ultimate popular style design influence that would be HTC M7 that still continues an astonishing amount of design influence..
    Moto maker... no manufacturer has even come close to a custom phone turnaround of 5 days not to mention they started the less is more approach to Android and Moto display the best version of always on and one of the simplest ways of accessing your device and notifications...

    CJ BrownMitesh Vasavastorm


  • 49
    storm Apr 17, 2016 Link to comment

    No, that title goes to Motorola. The X and G lines have been awesome performers at prices that embarrass OnePlus every time.

    CJ BrownDean L.Stefan MathiaMitesh VasavaDeactivated Account


    • 1
      Mitesh Vasava Apr 17, 2016 Link to comment

      Have to agree with this one.


    • 2
      Luke Weebly Apr 18, 2016 Link to comment

      Not really, OP2 (64gb) £249 Moto X style (32gb) £369 . OP2>Moto X style and not just for the price.

      CJ Brown


      • 49
        storm Apr 18, 2016 Link to comment

        Moto offers expandable storage, NFC, Better screens, higher initial quality, quicker updates, better camera, faster availability, more customization, less bloat and crapware, better 3rd party support, More developer ROMs....

        Chuck JonesCJ BrownDean L.

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