OnePlus may have done away with the invite system this year, but the company is now apparently struggling to meet the heavy demand for its latest release – the OnePlus 3. Even though the company recently introduced a new Soft Gold color to its lineup, it now seems as though there are just not enough units to go around for everybody at the moment. The company’s co-founder and head of global operations, Mr. Carl Pei, has today posted on the official OnePlus forums that the company will “temporarily pause” sales of the device in a number of countries in Europe from the 9th of August until the 12th of September as it tries to “secure more stock and fire up more production lines so that we can fulfill our goal of putting premium products into the hands of as many people as possible”.
Mr. Pei, however, also clarified that those who have already ordered the device by now or will order on or before August 9, won’t have to worry about not getting it delivered on time, as deliveries will be on schedule in this time period. Some of the countries that will be affected, include Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Spain. Those in Hong Kong will also have to wait until the 12th of next month to buy the OnePlus 3 if they do not order within the next few days.
It is anybody’s guess whether the company is truly struggling to cope with unexpectedly high demand or if this is yet another of the marketing gimmicks the company is known for. Over the years, OnePlus has often gotten into trouble from various quarters for some ill-conceived marketing strategies. Either way, the fact still remains that if you’re in any of the aforementioned countries and have been planning to buy a OnePlus 3, you’ll either have to act right now or wait several weeks before you can book yours. This isn’t the first time that Mr. Pei has had to be the harbinger of bad news to its fans and customers in the continent. Earlier this year, Pei announced that the device will cost £20 more in the U.K. following the country’s decision to exit the European Union. The device was originally launched in the country at £309, while the revised price now stands at £329.