Smartphone manufacturers tend to add more phones to their device lineups to hit various price points — for example, Motorola’s Moto G line went from one device to three this year. OnePlus is doing the opposite: There will be no more OnePlus X devices.
The news comes from OnePlus co-founder and CEO Pete Lau a day after the launch of the OnePlus 3. The OnePlus X is the Chinese company’s more affordable device, which costs roughly around $270. The device came out last fall, and went invite-free earlier this year. The decision to not have a follow-up device has nothing to do with whether it was popular, or if it was well-received (we gave it a 7 out of 10).
In fact, according to Engadget, OnePlus’ decision was so that the company could just focus on one “true flagship” device to build on its solid foundation, rather than “fighting the low-end price war.”
The news may come as a disappointment to some, as the company’s latest flagship device is priced a little higher than its predecessors at $400. The OnePlus 3 is the first device from the company to not use the invite-system at all. OnePlus ended the invite system for its previous offerings a few months after the devices launched, but the change with the OnePlus 3 means that the startup is all grown up.
OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei told Digital Trends that there won’t be any OnePlus X devices “for now,” backpedaling a little on Lau’s comment.
With the one “true flagship” model approach, it’s likely that means we won’t see another OnePlus device until the middle of 2017. The company will be investing in after-sale services and lifestyle products like bags that show off the OnePlus brand.
Lau told Engadget the company is doing well in the U.S., India, and especially strong in Europe.