It’s not exactly the announcement we were expecting, but OnePlus announced that it will finally drop the invite system for the OnePlus One. However, there’s one big caveat.
Up until now, OnePlus only allowed open sales on Tuesdays, but with today’s announcement, anyone can buy the One during any day of the week. In celebration of the news, OnePlus discounted several accessories, namely its flip covers and screen protectors, by 75 percent for 24 hours. It also opened up sales for the bamboo StyleSwap OnePlus One back covers without the need for an invite.
However, if OnePlus’ invite system annoyed you, enjoy this moment while you can, because the company plans to bring it back when the OnePlus 2 arrives later this year.
“The OnePlus 2 will bring the challenges that come along with a brand new product, and initially, our invite system will help us to manage that risk,” wrote OnePlus on the announcement page.
Keep in mind that the invite system will “initially” be there for the OnePlus 2, leading us to believe that the company will drop the system at some point during the smartphone’s availability. Whether OnePlus will keep the One around when the OnePlus 2 arrives later this year is still up in the air, though the better question is whether the dropped invite system will increase sales of the One.
Also intriguing are the prospects of a OnePlus One Lite, which was rumored shortly before today’s announcement. The One Lite was rumored to be an improved version of the One, but less powerful than the OnePlus 2. This rumor backs up the belief that the OnePlus 2 will be more expensive than the One, since it sets up the One Lite as the budget model.
