We’ve been hearing for a while now that a new company, OnePlus, is going to be launching their first device unto the world, and that device is going to be better than anything else out there. Or at least, that’s the vibe we’re getting from their slow-boil marketing campaign that’s gaining in popularity all the time. The device from OnePlus – who’s headed up by a former Oppo VP, Pet Lau – is to be one of the first devices in the world to primarily run CyanogenMod, with no plans to run anything else instead of the Open Source OS. Every so often, we hear a little more from the company on their Google+ page and now, we’re hearing that the OnePlus One is to be a very affordable option, indeed. At least when it comes to the creme de la creme of smartphones.
Taking to Google+ earlier today, Pete Lau said that the the OnePlus One is going to cost less than $500 unlocked, completely free of contract. Normally, these sorts of things aren’t concrete, but Mr Lau ended his short and sweet comment with “guaranteed”. Affordable smartphones that are free of contract are becoming more and more common, and thanks to the likes of the Moto G, they’re no longer known for being uninspiring and dull affairs. The Nexus 5 starts at $349 for 16GB of storage and while there’s no doubting the Snapdragon 800 inside of it, the rest of the hardware isn’t as good as other devices running for $200 or so on contract. I own a Nexus 5 and I’m very happy with it, but the camera and the overall build quality do leave quite a bit to be desired. Meanwhile, OnePlus have been promising the One to be a device that debuts with the best specs available for a 2014 device, so to promise a price under $500 unlocked is an extremely enticing prospect.
The OnePlus One is said to be released some time in Q2 this year, so hopefully that means we’re going to see a little more of the device soon. After all, there’s only so far hyperbole and enticing promises will get you as far as marketing is concerned.