Chinese smartphone maker OnePlus has confirmed the official launch date of the OnePlus 3 as June 14. The launch is just less than two weeks away but new rumors of the mobile phone have still emerged online.
The OnePlus One, OnePlus 2 and OnePlus X have attracted many smartphone enthusiasts, but the company's invite system had disappointed many OnePlus phone lovers in the past. The invite system required customers to register their interest in a OnePlus mobile phone and wait for the company to send an invitation to buy the device.
However, the company stopped the invite model for OnePlus 2 in December 2015 and the OnePlus X in January this year. OnePlus seems to have understood that buyers are not happy with the invite model, so the company has confirmed that the OnePlus 3 and all future OnePlus devices will be available invite-free from Day 1.
"With the OnePlus 3, we're officially saying goodbye to invites. It's a big step for us as a company, our fans, and fellow tech enthusiasts. We're proud to have reached a point where we feel confident in making our new device available without invites from day one," says OnePlus.
GizmoChina cites an industry expert going by the name Mocha RQ and reports that OnePlus delayed the launch of the OnePlus 3 to mid-June probably because the company wanted to stock 1 million units before the official launch. Given the high popularity of the OnePlus One and OnePlus 2, it seems OnePlus wants to be prepared for getting huge customer response for the OnePlus 3 on the launch day, and this evident in the trimmed down prices of all previous OnePlus smartphones.
The report also suggests that the OnePlus 3 could be available in four models, and pricing will be based upon the material, memory and other features of each version.
Previous rumors hinted that the OnePlus 3 will have a starting price tag of 1,999 Yuan ($308). However, latest speculations suggest that the base model of the smartphone will cost 2,299 Yuan ($349). Other three models of the OnePlus 3 are expected to cost 2,499 Yuan ($379), 2,699 Yuan ($410) and 2,799 Yuan ($425).
OnePlus has only announced the launch date and specs; pricing and other details remain unknown for now. We'll have to wait until June 14 for the company to take the wraps off the OnePlus 3 and reveal full details of the highly anticipated handset.
