We had seen the OnePlus One go out of the invite-system a few times before, but now onwards, it will not require any invite-hassles to purchase the device, as OnePlus finally ends the invite system.
OnePlus revealed on Reddit that it’s about to transition from using invites to a more traditional pre-order system. That still sounds like the company’s seeing stock problems, as pre-orders imply limited availability, but the key here is that any interested buyer could place a pre-order whenever he or she wanted, rather than waiting until coming across an invite code.
The official announcement relating to the end of the invite system to purchase OnePlus One goes as:
By rigorously testing and improving our logistical structure over the last one year, we are far more confident that our processes have matured enough for us to handle the increased production and after-sales support that comes along with opening up sales. It’s what we’ve been working towards, and now we’re ready. This current shift from an invite system to a non-invite system is a big step, one from which we will learn a great deal before the OnePlus 2 launch, with invites, in the third quarter of this year.
Carl Pei
Co-founder and Head of Global, OnePlus
All signs pointed towards the OnePlus Two, new gaming hardware or a power bank. Nobody had anticipated that the Chinese company would announce that they’ve finally decided to do away with the infuriating invite system. So, starting today the 64GB Sandstone Black and the 16GB Silk White variants will be available without an invite forever, on Amazon.in or Oneplus.net. With this announcement OnePlus also confirmed that OnePlus Two is in fact, on its way. Though they said that the second flagship will only be available through the invite system. The number of invites a buyer of the OnePlus 2 will have to share hasn’t been decided. Original buyers of the OnePlus One were given three invites to distribute.
OnePlus didn’t just use the invite system to make people want the device more, though. The company also had a practical reason for it. The fact that it operated on thin profit margins meant that it couldn’t take too many risks with its inventory. In other words, OnePlus couldn’t afford to build too many devices that it may have been unable to sell quickly enough. That could have increased costs for the company, which could have either made it unprofitable and unable to fund production of new units, or possibly forced the company to raise the price. One of the reasons the OnePlus One had such a high demand was because of its low price.
