OnePlus, a new player in the smartphone arena, will launch its first smartphone OnePlus One on April 12 and it will be available for sale shortly afterwards but only on an invite-only order process.
The Chinese startup has announced in its blog post that not everyone will be able to buy the device when it is launched next week. The company will send invites to a select group of people initially who will receive the devices within a few days.
Currently, the company has announced three ways of sending invites: through their forum, contests and friends. As of now, there are about 7,556 members in the forum and the company is expected to select members for their initial set of invites from this group. Once a person receives an invite and buys a phone, they will also be able to invite their friends to buy the phone.
The number of invites a person is eligible to receive is limited one. Also, there has been no mention about how many invites the company is planning to send initially. Further, the company has provided no information about how and where the contests will be held.
OnePlus has noted that there will be more information regarding how the invites will be sent on April 23rd, when the phone will be launched officially.
The forum post from OnePlus read, “In the beginning, they’ll be available in limited quantities, but as time progresses they’ll become easier and easier to come by.”
Earlier, the company had disclosed pricing information of the device. It will be unlocked and come with a price tag of $400 or under €350 (or under £290 in the UK). It is presumed that it will have a quad-core 2.5GHz Snapdragon 801 processor, a 5.5 inch display and a 13MP Sony rear camera.
