Much of the allure of the impressive OnePlus One smartphone was its ability to compete with the big boys without breaking the bank. In many cases, the flagship killer cost half as much as the Android top dogs’ best efforts.
However, as speculation ramps up ahead of the OnePlus 2 launch on July 27, there have been fears the new handset might be bumped up to a price-tag more akin to a Samsung or HTC flagship.
Thankfully, OnePlus CEO Pete Lau has moved to allay those worries by promising the OnePlus 2 will retail for under $450 (around £288).
In a post on the OnePlus Google+ page the company wrote: “We’ve seen price estimates for the OnePlus 2 upwards of $500. But, we made a promise to our users. Honestly, it’s never been about the price. We simply make the best smartphones we can, and we go from there.”
Then, in a quote attributed to Lau, the firm added:
The OnePlus One arrived for $299 (£229), with prices dropping to just $249 (£179) last month. So, if the new phone started at at $450, or even $400 (around £256) as recently hinted, that’d be a considerable hike over the first iteration.
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It would, however, be hard to protest the bump too much the specs list the company has been dripping out over the last few weeks.
The second-gen handset will have a Snapdragon 810 processor, USB-C connectivity and a faster-than-Touch-ID fingerprint sensor.
We’ll get the rest of the picture on July 27 when the firm will host a media event that’ll be broadcast out in virtual reality.
Is there a deal-breaking price tag for you? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.