OnePlus dropping invitation-system by October

When OnePlus launched the OnePlus One, they stated that the flagship won’t be available for pre-order in traditional fashion, rather it will be an invite based distribution. This came as a controversial tactic, but it was understandable since OnePlus was fresh out on the market and they were in need of something controversial to set things off.

Many have already received invites via contests and promotions, several thousand people have actually had the opportunity to buy the OnePlus One flagship, but many more are still left in the dark, waiting for the flagship to go on sale. Since OnePlus has opened up its market in India already and will probably have the phone on sale in a couple of months, a shift in distribution was expected in other markets, too.

OnePlus, in the meantime, has declared that it will drop the invitation-system by October, this year, which is great news. We don’t know whether stock will open up at the same time, but it sure is progress on the part of the company. Production numbers of the OnePlus One flagship aren’t known yet, but there will probably be a shortage in availability of the device when it goes on sale. Still, the One will be available for pre-order, which is a great development and shows how an almost incognito company can rise to the top in the blink of an eye.

Some are actually criticizing the switch from invites to pre-order because that would mean that you don’t know how long you will have to wait until you actually get to unbox the OnePlus One, versus getting it immediately after receiving an invite. In my opinion, wide availability is far better than the invite-system, since it will no longer be as restrictive and complicated to navigate. If you got an invitation, you had to get it from somebody who already had the phone and since it was only available in a few thousand units, the chances you knew somebody with a One phone already were slim. At the same time, competing and sniveling on the forums to get an invite is as lengthy as pe-ordering, so I don’t think it was better that way.

What’s unfortunate is that the drop is scheduled for October, after IFA Berlin and after Apple’s launch event on September 9. It’s unfortunate, because IFA will bring hundreds of new tech novelties to the market and many will be taken aback by the new releases, no matter which of them you’re thinking of. If the One will be available for pre-order in October, and you’ll have to wait to get it as well, it might make a large proportion of enthusiasts to lose their interest, and patience for that matter. Even if the OnePlus One is an excellent flagship, it might not be worth the wait for many who will most likely go for the iPhone 6 or Galaxy Note 4 instead of waiting.

I, for one, will still be interested in the One, since I just upgraded my smartphone a few months ago and don’t want to spend the money IFA gadgets will need me to so early. The OnePlus will probably land in my hands around Christmas this year, which makes for perfect timing. But that’s just me. Will you still want the flagship?