OnePlus is at it again with its aggressive marketing gimmicks, seemingly trying to chip away some of the market under Samsung. And by "at it again," we mean that the competitive Chinese firm is offering people a chance to get a free OnePlus 2 when they trade in a Samsung Galaxy flagship model, spreading the word with the hashtag #TakeTheEdgeOff.
This isn't the first time that OnePlus has set its sight on Samsung. Just recently, Carl Pei, OnePlus co-founder, reached out to Samsung, coveting an internship under the dominant tech company. But now the Chinese device maker seems to have something different in mind.
This deal seems to be another attempt to gain a strong presence in the touchscreen scene, but people are not buying it. Trading in a Samsung Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 Edge, Galaxy S6 Edge+ or Galaxy Note 5 for a OnePlus 2 doesn't seem to appeal to consumers. But OnePlus is determined to make this happen.
"We're confident that we've created one of the most fantastic smartphones on the market today. So confident that we're willing to put our money where our mouths are," the company posted on its promo page.
OnePlus dazzled consumers with the high-end specs of its handsets, and OnePlus 2 was even dubbed the flagship killer before. If not for poor delivery and marketing schemes, the tech firm could've been a notable contender in the market.
On OnePlus' defense, its flagship model isn't really a bad smartphone, and it's even fitted with powerful chips under its hood, such as Qualcomm's quad-core Snapdragon 810 and Adreno 430 along with 4 GB of RAM. But it really seems unlikely to find consumers who are willing to take up the offer, not to mention that Galaxy devices cost a lot more and are probably under contracts.
The trade is not all bad, though, as the donated Samsung devices will go to Hope Phones, a non-profit organization that provides medical technology to those in need in Asia, Latin America and Africa — so the charity side of things seems pretty good.
OnePlus will select only 50 winners who will be allowed to swap their Samsung Galaxy flagships for a OnePlus 2 and will end the contest on Oct. 18. But based on consumers' reactions, there's no need to rush.
