I’m suddenly getting that déjà vu feeling. The OnePlus 2 was revealed nearly two months ago, but barely anyone can buy one. Didn’t this same exact thing happen last year with the OnePlus One?
OnePlus was hoping last year’s ordeal would be a lesson on how to better handle a launch, but unfortunately that didn’t happen. The company still utilized the invite system, but promised that it would be 30-50 times easier to get an invite. On top of this, the company supposedly prepared a larger inventory of product this time around. OnePlus began shipping “meaningful quantities” this week, but we are already one month past the initial target.
OnePlus CEO Carl Pei expressed his dissatisfaction with the situation in a post on the company’s forums. He said, “We messed up” and sincerely apologized to OnePlus fans. He went on to say, “We know how it feels waiting and waiting for something you really want, while being given ETAs that go unfulfilled.”
Considering the fact that the OnePlus 2 is a flagship-worthy phone with a starting cost of only $330, it’s no surprise that so many people want to get their hands on one. It comes with a 5.5-inch 1080p (1,920 x 1,080) display, a 64-bit octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, 3GB or 4GB of RAM, 16GB or 64GB of internal storage, 13-megapixel rear camera, 5-megapixel front-facing camera, fingerprint sensor, and a 3,300mAh battery. You won’t find too many phones with these specs for the same money.
I’m most impressed with the fact that Pei isn’t making excuses. He said, “There are very few excuses in this world that are valid.” The bottom line is that you either delivered or you didn’t. Blaming won’t change things, and Pei is accepting responsibility. This has to be admired.
However, heartfelt apologies or not, it doesn’t take away the fact that many customers are irate. Pei has a solution to make up for these missteps. He is proposing that the company host a one-hour window in which anyone can order a OnePlus 2, even without an invite. The date hasn’t been determined just yet, but the plan is for later this month or early October. Pei said that the determination will be made based on when it’s most feasible for production and operations.
We will update this post as soon as the date is announced.
