Lately, there have been a lot of buzz around Chinese startup OnePlus, since its CEO revealed that the company would release two devices this year. As 2015 is entering its last quarter, time is getting tight and we can expect news from OnePlus at any moment. Previous rumors, like the one published last week, talk about an alleged OnePlus 2 Mini device, which is set to be a scaled-down version of the company’s flagship OnePlus 2 with mid-range specifications, and now it seems that the company has big plans for this release. According to a report from Indian media, OnePlus is expected to release a mid-range smartphone costing between $180 and $300 (12.000 INR to 20.000 INR, Indian Rupee), the biggest market segment in the country.
India has been one of the most important markets for the company. In 2014, after just one month of operations, the country was responsible for 7% of the revenue for the entire year. Additionally, in the quarter ending in March, India was responsible for 40% of global sales, without any major marketing effort. In order to make the push there, the company is planning to open an online store in the likes of rival Xiaomi, which would allow consumers to buy phones directly from them. Today, in order to get a OnePlus 2 phone, users are redirected to partner websites Amazon and Flipkart, where the infamous invite-only system is then applied. With the new website, which is set to launch next year, it seems like the company would ditch the invitation thing, responsible for several delays and complaints from users this year.
If previous rumors regarding the device are to be true, expect it to be a mid-range killer, because, according to leaked specs from a benchmark test, it has some nice specs. Powered by an octa-core MediaTek MT6795T running at 2.2 GHz, it has 2 GB of RAM, 2K resolution, 32 GB of internal storage and a fingerprint reader on the back. Differently from the OnePlus 2, according toVikas Agarwal, general manager of OnePlus India, the handset will be more of a fashion product and targeted to the mass market. As such, it makes sense for the company to ditch the invitation system and move online and physical sales across the country. Again, the new phone from OnePlus will be priced between $180 and $300 and it should be released soon, probably right before the Diwali religious holiday, which will take place on November 11th this year.