<div>In the midst of big smartphone brands stands an independent company that created quite a stir and is still a hot favorite among the geeks. The OnePlus One might not be a ‘flagship killer’ anymore, but it has managed to be one of the best smartphones to buy today as it offers a great package for the money you pay. </div><div> </div><div>One of the biggest reasons for the success of the OnePlus One has been their selling strategy. The company adopted an invite system to sell the product. To get a OnePlus One, the company announced that one would have to register for the device, get an invite and then have the opportunity to buy the smartphone. This created a sense of exclusivity which actually worked well for the company.</div><div> </div><div>This process of registering and buying a smartphone better known as ‘flash sales’ has grown vastly in India and it was a very obvious choice for OnePlus when it planned to enter India even though it was late for the party. While the company has managed to target its audience, customers are having a hard time getting the device either due to lack of an invite or limited stocks.</div><div> </div><div>It runs on last year’s hardware but it is still an easy recommendation in the sub-25k range. Why? Well firstly it is a solid device and totally justifies its price tag. It isn't what you would call premium, but it offers a lot in terms of hardware and software. It runs on a Snapdragon 801 quad-core chip with 3GB of RAM which even today is enough to provide ample power for daily tasks as well as high-end gaming or binge watching your favorite TV series.<br /><br /> Other points of attraction in the hardware department are the 64GB of storage space and the rear 13MP camera which has the capability to shoot in RAW. The biggest USP, however, is that it is targeted to Android power users which OnePlus has achieved by providing CyanogenMod based Android OS and the ability to root the smartphone without hampering the warranty.</div><div> </div><div>Cyanogenmod is basically a tuned version of stock Android OS which gives you options for deeper customisation and more control over the device which is usually achieved by rooting your device. The custom OS is developed by the Cyanogen community which started off as a very small unit and has now become a global community of developers and testers. Their contribution has made the OnePlus One a hot gadget for the geeks.</div><div> </div><div>So how does the company manage to keep the price of the smartphone at just Rs 21,999 for the 64GB variant when devices with similar specifications end up at Rs 30,000? Well, like the Chinese giant Xiaomi, OnePlus has a similar philosophy. Peter Lau, CEO of OnePlus, had mentioned at the time of the launch that "We are selling the phone at cost.The company is focusing on online marketing and community interaction rather than working with retail partners, they rely on selling the device online.”<br /><br /> It seems that having a zero or a low marketing cost has worked well, and other smartphone makers have started employing the same strategy. With a good chunk of profit under its belt, the company is rumored to be working on an update to the smartphone which will be revealed this year.</div><div> </div><div> </div>
