China’s OnePlus is back, with a new round of invitations to sell its newest smartphone: the OnePlus X.
Designed as a ‘flagship on a budget’, the OnePlus X will cost $250 – although there will also be a more expensive limited-edition version. Despite the cost, OnePlus has built in a 5″ AMOLED screen, with 1920 x 1080 resolution. However, the real focus is on design.
Instead of the ‘Sandstone Black’ textured rear that was used on the OnePlus One and OnePlus Two, the X has a glass back. Mashable notes that this can make the device slippery, but 17 ‘micro-cuts’ etched into the bezel are intended to improve grip. It is around 7mm thick.
OnePlus’s own OxygenOS runs on a Snapdragon 801 processor, with 3GB of RAM. The phone has 16GB of storage and dual SIM slots, one of which doubles as a microSD slot. The cameras are 13MP (rear) and 8MP (front).
OnePlus is known for selling its phones, at least initially, on an invitation-only basis. CEO Carl Pei told Mashable that the system is necessary for a hardware startup, as having to cut prices due to a large number of unsold phones ‘could spell financial ruin’. The same approach will be used for the OnePlus X, but only for around a month. Sales to those with invitations began on the 5th November in Europe and will start on the 19th November in the USA. The limited-edition Ceramic model – identical but for the appearance – will only be sold in Europe and India, where it will cost €300 (ex VAT). Sales of this model will start on the 24th November.
