Bargain priced OnePlus One smartphone should see a replacement next year, with initial details appearing online early
The OnePlus One was perhaps the surprise smartphone of 2014. Announced at a bargain price, but packing the latest hardware, a beautifully minimal design and the super-fast CyanogenMod custom version of Android, it was (and still is) seriously desirable; so much so that the company had to set up a waiting list and invitation system to meet demand. It should come as no surprise that OnePlus is already working on a successor, but early details may have just leaked out ahead of schedule.
According to the Times of India, OnePlus is aiming to repeat the success of the One with its replacement, presumed to be called the OnePlus Two. To do so, the company will produce it to incredibly low profit margins and keep the price below $500, meaning roughly £350 here in the UK accounting for taxes and VAT.
OnePlus will apparently bring back its StyleSwap covers to let users customise the look and feel of their device, although it’s unclear if these will only cover the back of the phone or if they will include front-facing customisation too. The company didn’t have much luck with StyleSwap covers for the One, failing to get them ready in time for launch and admitting to only selling a few hundred of the bamboo covers, due to low production yields and poor usability. According to the report, OnePlus will be working hard to get StyleSwap covers ready for launch the second time around.
Finally, there should also be some ‘hardware surprises’, although the Times’ source didn’t say what those might be. We’re guessing a fingerprint sensor could be on the agenda, or possibly some new camera technology, although these are both pure speculation.
We’d suggest taking these rumours with a liberal pinch of salt, however; the Times of India doesn’t name its source and the OnePlus One hasn’t even made it to the country yet, so it’s unclear who would already be talking about a successor.
We’ll have to wait until Q2-Q3 next year to find out for certain, however; the company is on track to release its second handset by Autumn 2015 at the latest.
