Almost everything we’ve heard about the OnePlus 2 up until now has been great, but with all these reports and rumors that the smartphone would be packing some seriously impressive specs, many people were concerned that OnePlus wouldn’t be able to maintain the budget-friendliness that made the OnePlus One so awesome. Fortunately, the company’s CEO came forward today to confirm that the upcoming smartphone will be priced under $450.
As with the launch of its first (and, so far, its only) handset, OnePlus is dragging out the process of announcing its next device, and milking it for all it’s worth. In recent weeks, the company has revealed that its OnePlus 2 will feature a ‘cooler’ version of the Snapdragon 810 processor, a USB Type-C connector (but better), and a fingerprint sensor that’s said to be superior to Apple’s Touch ID system. Today, OnePlus CEO Pete Lau promised that the new flagship-class handset “will be priced under 450 USD”. Now, one obvious assessment of that statement is that the device will cost $449.99 – but OnePlus has played this game before: ahead of launching the One, it said that it would cost under $500, then under $400, before the handset was eventually announced, priced from $299. Of course, that doesn’t necessarily mean that the OnePlus 2 will be as affordable as its predecessor. Indeed, it’s widely expected that the new device will cost a little more than the One, allowing OnePlus to offer a new lower-cost handset, which it says will cater “to a different type of audience, perhaps for those who appreciate design over specs.”
