Last week, reports came out that Chinese smartphone maker OnePlus will be rolling out to the retail markets two smartphones in the second half of this year – one high end and another low-end handset.
Reports have it that the high-end smartphone will be the OnePlus Two, the sequel to its very successful OnePlus One handset, regarded as the most exciting Android phone launched last year.
There was still no word last week as to the name of the low-end smartphone. But now, it seems that things are clearing up on the side of the Chinese smartphone maker. Apparently, the affordable handset shall be named OnePlus One Lite.
Smartphone launching
Accordingly, OnePlus will be officially launching its two latest smartphones this week through a special announcement.
OnePlus Two, as an improved version of the OnePlus One smartphone, is expected to come out with a higher price. It shall sport a 5.5-inch display screen and shall be powered by a 64-bit octa-core Snapdragon 810 microprocessor. It shall also feature a fingerprint scanner and shall have a microSD slot to enable expansion of internal storage.
OnePlus One Lite, on the other hand, will be the more affordable version of the OnePlus Two but with updated specifications and features compared to OnePlus One, reports Phone Arena.
Initial reports also said that OnePlus Two will require an invitation to buy. But the Chinese smartphone maker is working to circumvent the system, originally set up to maintain balance between supply and demand.
Tough competition
Accordingly, the OnePlus Two smartphone will be launched in the third quarter of this year while the OnePlus One Lite handset will be rolled out in the last quarter of 2015.
While the OnePlus Two is expected to have a good following, especially the satisfied users of OnePlus One, One Plus One Lite would be up for a tough competition as the market is also loaded with Chinese competitors namely Xiaomi, Huawei, and Lenovo.
Word has it that OnePlus will be compromising its price and some specifications for its budget smartphone to enable it to compete in the ultra-competitive market
But the strategy to cover both ends of the smartphone sales spectrum is a good one on the part of OnePlus as it may actually deliver the sales growth that the Chinese company is looking for.
The Chinese smartphone maker has set its sights on tripling its 2014 sales to three million units in 2015 and then eventually selling 10 million units at the end of 2016.
It’s a lofty target for a fledgling company which is buoyed by optimism as a result of the splendid performance of its breakthrough OnePlus One handset successfully rolled out into the market last year.
To be able to achieve its ambitious goal, it is imperative for OnePlus to break out of the single wonder-handset that it is currently being labelled. The OnePlus Two would be a determining factor and defining moment for this year’s target of the Chinese company.