If you were hoping that you'd easily be able to order a OnePlus 2 through a retail outlet or online store, prepare to be disappointed. OnePlus has inexplicably decided to sell their upcoming smartphone through an invite system, making it harder for prospective customers to buy the phone.
The invite system that frustrated so many OnePlus One buyers will be tweaked for the launch of the OnePlus 2. According to OnePlus, they will have 30 to 50 times more units available at launch, which means more invites will be dished out from the start. Sharable invites that you can give to friends will also arrive much earlier than last time.
For prospective buyers who "don't have time to hang out on forums or social media", rather than making the phone available to purchase through a regular store, OnePlus has opted for a reservation list. This means you enter your email into a form and pray you'll be sent an invite, with OnePlus prioritizing early forum supporters.
What we currently know about the OnePlus 2 suggests the handset will be pretty decent. The device will come with a Snapdragon 810 SoC with 4 GB of RAM, a 3,300 mAh battery, a fingerprint sensor, USB Type-C, a 13-megapixel camera with laser autofocus and an f/2.0 lens, and a price tag under $450.
It's just unfortunate that customers wanting to buy the OnePlus 2 have to hunt down an invite before they can hand over their hard-earned cash. The device will be officially unveiled on July 27th and is expected to go on sale shortly afterwards.