After teasing its fans with piecemeal revelations about what could the OnePlus 2 be like, OnePlus has finally set a date for the official unveiling of its second-generation flagship smartphone.
And as if that was not exciting enough for its eager customers, OnePlus makes another marketing splash by announcing that it will take the wraps off the OnePlus 2 not in the physical world but in full virtual reality. The first-of-its-kind product launch will take place on July 27 at 7 p.m. Pacific Time (10 p.m. Eastern Time).
Join us for the world's first product launch in VR, July 27, 7:00pm PT. Welcome to the future: https://t.co/Ks6ARY1FLz pic.twitter.com/EJ0icETrC5
— OnePlus (@oneplus) June 25, 2015
"In our industry, product launches tend to be the same. An auditorium, a keynote and a seated audience," says Carl Pei, founder and director of OnePlus. "For the OnePlus 2 launch, we didn't want that barrier between us and you; we want to invite you into our world, because you're a major part of it."
The launch will include special appearances by the winners of OnePlus' "secret" launch project, where the company asked participants to share videos of their OnePlus stories and smartphone photography. Pei says launch attendees will be able to "stand right next to our team" and look around in 360 degrees as you "check out the phone in a new way and maybe even find a few hidden Easter eggs."
As part of the launch, OnePlus will be distributing custom Google Cardboard headsets designed specifically for the OnePlus One, which is what most of the viewers likely have. The OnePlus Cardboard headset is smaller and made of slightly tougher cardboard. It has a thin film that protects the screen of the OnePlus One from marks and is printed with the company's logo "Never Settle."
OnePlus says it will "definitely lose money on this," but the Chinese smartphone maker is known for disruptive marketing strategies that have made it popular even before it launched the OnePlus One. Fans who want to attend the VR event will be given instructions on how they can get their free VR headset from OnePlus later.
The OnePlus 2 will be a bit different from its predecessor, with Pei saying that it is targeted for a "different type of audience," the kind that values "design before specs." No details have been revealed about what the handset's build material, but it is possible OnePlus is using a metal body that is similar to what most flagships currently have.
Over the past few months, OnePlus has drop bits and pieces of information about its upcoming flagship, the most controversial of which is the use of Qualcomm's Snapdragon 810 v 2.1, which is blamed for the overheating problems in other smartphones with the chip inside. OnePlus, however, assures its customers that the OnePlus 2 won't be subject to the same issues because of the thermal gel coating and graphite that will keep it cool.
The handset will also feature USB Type-C, the latest USB standard that was first used by Apple in its new MacBooks. It will also be the first device to run on OnePlus' Oxygen OS, its new Android-based platform that has yet to be evaluated from a consumer's perspective. The success of the OnePlus One was partly due to the company decided to use CyanogenMod instead of stock Android software.
As for the price of the device, the new focus on design will likely give the OnePlus 2 a price bump. Unlike the original OnePlus, it doesn't seem like we will be seeing a $300 smartphone from OnePlus next month.
