OnePlus is doing away with its invite system for the OnePlus 2, which is great news if you’ve been itching to get one as a gift or for yourself. The announcement is part of the company’s celebration of its two-year anniversary on December 17.
The startup smartphone manufacturer used the invite system as a way for consumers to buy its devices so that it could “scale its operations” to meet demand, but beginning on December 5, the OnePlus 2 will be invite-free forever. As a holiday promotion, the company is also making the lower-tier OnePlus X invite-free for a brief window from December 5 to 7.
The OnePlus website currently lists the OnePlus 2 16GB model as out of stock, so it’s not clear if the company will increase its stock over the next few days in time for the holiday season.
Between December 5 to 7, the company is also offering a 50 percent discount on OnePlus 2 StyleSwap covers, 90 percent off certain OnePlus One accessories, and 10 percent off all other accessories. A limited number of first orders will also receive a mousepad with the company’s motto, “Never Settle.”
OnePlus guarantees that all OnePlus orders made by December 7 will arrive in time for “the holidays,” which presumably means before December 25.
If you’re interested in the company’s phones, but want to read up on them first, you can check out our reviews of the OnePlus 2 and OnePlus X. We gave both devices a 3.5 out of 5. The OnePlus 2 failed to impress much as its predecessor with its lack of NFC, MicroSD card slot, and a sub-par camera. But for its price, it delivers a premium build quality, flagship specs, and runs near-stock Android. The OnePlus X is a welcome addition to the family, offering a gorgeous design at a low price point.
The invite system has always been the main barrier between buyers and OnePlus’ phones, and the company has been moving away from the system recently. OnePlus offered its new phones sans-invite on several occasions in 2015, but those were limited-time deals. Now that the OnePlus 2 is available for anyone to buy, long wait times are likely.
