OnePlus has confirmed that it has plans to launch affordable smartphones in India. OnePlus CEO Pete Lau confirmed that the brand is planning to launch cheaper smartphones in the country soon.
In an interview with Fast Company, Pete Lau confirmed that it will make an announcement of its new strategy in India soon. The company is planning to bring these affordable smartphones to other markets including Europe and North America in the later part of this year. “We can look at it as having a more affordable product offering,” Lau says through an interpreter, “but all products that still remain up to the OnePlus standard . . . and through this enabling more people to have access to OnePlus products,” he told the publication.
With this, OnePlus is all set to once again enter the affordable segment in India. The brand started off with the OnePlus One that was touted as a flagship killer and it was launched in India for Rs 21,999, followed by OnePlus 2 and OnePlus X. The latter became a failed project as it didn’t garner the much-needed response from the customers. The company then slowly shifted to the mid-premium segment with its OnePlus 5 and 5T series and later on, it introduced its most expensive smartphone with the OnePlus 8 Pro that is priced at Rs 59,999, putting it against the likes of iPhone 11 and Samsung Galaxy S20 smartphones.
Will it be successful this time?
The OnePlus X was the first mid-range smartphone from the company that failed miserably in the country. At that time, the competition was not that strong, however, this time, the brand will surely have a tough time with the rest of the competition. Xiaomi is currently leading the budget segment with its range of smartphones, while Realme is quite aggressive with its pricing strategy. Both the brands are providing the latest specs along with decent design language that makes it an interesting proposition for the potential customers.
It is also true that the budget segment is still the heart of the smartphone industry in India and every brand is trying to eye on this segment with its product launches. For OnePlus to enter this segment, the company will have to justify the price of its upcoming smartphone with the hardware and features it will provide. If it is able to break this price vs specs fundamental, only then it will be able to make its presence felt in this segment, otherwise, things will be difficult for the Flagship Killer brand.