Our favorite media hog and delay engine, OnePlus, has some great news for fans and haters alike. Fans, OnePlus posted in their forums a schedule of events to happen leading up to launch. The post reads:
Initial period: Invites
The first months following our launch, we need to ensure consistency in product and service quality. We need to make sure that the product performs well, as well as fix any problems that may hinder a higher yield rate as production ramps up. At the same time, customer service and logistics also need to get ready to handle the upcoming demand, so that our users aren’t left with in a situation where service is poor. For these reasons, the devices will be sold via an invite system.Stable period: Invites and Pre-orders
Once our business operations are on track to handle the demand, we will be able to provide more detailed estimations on when we can ship. When this happens, we will launch pre-orders in addition to invites.If you have an invite, you’ll be able to purchase your device immediately. If you don’t have an invite, you’ll be able to pay for and pre-order your device, during which you’ll be given an estimation on when the order can be shipped. Before the order is processed, you are also free to cancel your pre-order for a full refund.
We are currently developing the pre-order functionality. Our best estimation for the launch of this functionality is Q3, but are not able to make any guarantees at this moment.
Also, the team posted an update for clarification, because, as expected, many forum users took this as a declaration of further delay, but wrote:
Update (June 16): Some members are interpreting this as an additional delay. This is incorrect. Nothing has changed on the production front, and a lot of people will be receiving their phones this month. This post is about what comes further down the line.
This does directly address even the first response in the thread, which expressed disappointment in a delay, but acknowledging that it is part of the release process to suffer delays sometimes. The great news, as noted later in the thread on OnePlus’s forums, is that Q3 is just around the corner, so the waiting will not be for too much longer, if the plans outlined.
The haters of either OnePlus or their methods of garnering support and popularity in the media have little to pick on today, so the fans and supports, as well as those waiting for their device to come in the mail, can celebrate and should feel free to congratulate the OnePlus team and fellow fans for the long wait coming to a close as the true likelihood of pre-ordering looms on the horizon.
As the announcement states, the pre-order techniques and process is still physically being worked on, and the expected (note, this is not a guarantee) date of full operation, and likely the first day of pre-order acceptance, or however it will work is sometime in the third quarter of this year. It is also great to hear from them that they are reinforcing this system to handle to massive demand they have built up for a, in comparison, limited-quantity device.
This news is the first of probably many to come, in this final stretch coming up to the launch of the pre-order system, and this time will be filled with updates on the quantity ready, as well as (and knowing OnePlus loves to do this) rile up their fans with little sneak peeks, and special opportunities for ‘early or exclusive’ access to the process, like early or accelerated service.
Regardless of how OnePlus handles the last week or so before the pre-orders are allowed to start coming in, the company is still dedicated to the best service they can give to their loyal fans and customers.