What made the One Plus One so good? Back in 2013 the OP1 burst onto the scene with high end specs and a price tag that didn't break the bank. The OP1 didn't have all the features that a fully fledged flagship did, but it was a usable phone that many desired. That was that basic formula that made one plus so good. Lately I'll say that they've strayed from that initial formula that made them great.With each iteration they've gently raised the prices, its subtle but its there. Sure true flagships cost almost a thousand dollars now, but those same companies are now releasing cheaper hardware with subtle compromises. These "compromised phones " are in no way bad and miss out on very few features that the average Joe would miss. So with the traditional flagship killer becoming the very thing it set out to kill like the macabre stories of yore, The smartphone space is ripe for disruption.
Enter The PocoPhone
SnapDragon 845, 6 Gigs of ram 64 Gigs of storage and true FaceId all for less than $300. Now thats a deal. Now the phone doesn't have a glass back or an OLED panel but the phone does sport a unique kevlar back. In a world where all phones are glass sandwiches which not many people are a fan of, The PocoPhone is a refreshing breath of fresh air. The LCD would seem like a deal breaker but from initial reports the LCD display is vibrant and bright enough to get the job done. I mean it's 2018 and some true flagships still use LCD technology, are you willing to pay an extra $250 for true blacks? The thing that still amazes me is how Xiaomi managed to get a true FaceId competitor onto this device.
Why Does This Spell Trouble For OnePlus?
OnePlus has recently surpassed Samsung to become the largest premium phone maker in India. It's no surprise that India is where a large chunk of OnePlus's orders come from. But the phone maker didn't really take off in India till the OP5 and OP5T. Why is that you ask? India is a highly price sensitive market we all know that. India is also a market where brand images play a huge role. That's why you see Indian streets dominated by advertisements for Oppo and Vivo.It took OnePlus about 3 years to gain a foothold India, Because they were building their brand. Now OnePlus in India is associated with a good phones at a cheap price, even when their prices keep creeping up.It is a recognised brand, that gives people an incentive to buy a OnePlus device. The next thing that Indian's love is a good deal. Unfortunately Xiaomi has Oneplus Outgunned in both categories. Xiaomi has better brand recognition and a better deal. to say that Xiaomi is popular in India would be an understatement. Xiaomi has the Indian smartphone sector in a choke hold. So people are comfortable buying Xiaomi products, getting people to buy Xiaomi products isn't an uphill battle. Face it the PocoPhone is a better deal. You get 95% of the OnePlus experience for a lot lot less. You even get true infrared face unlock.
People might say that OnePlus has a community and that the fans are in it for the community and the stock android experience. I would have agreed with you one or two years ago. But OnePlus's recent explosive growth has meant that the bulk of its users aren't core loyalists as was the case a few years ago. The Pocophone's pricing is a shot across OnePlus's bow and it'll be interesting to see how OnePlus responds.
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