Released in 2014, the OnePlus One was the company's first phone, combining high-end specs and budget-friendly pricing in a never-before-seen manner.
Not only did it severely undercut some of the best Android smartphones of the time, including its closest rival, the Samsung Galaxy S5, but it also birthed the term "flagship killer."
At just $299 for the base 16 GB model, the OnePlus One offered a crisp 5.5-inch 1080p display along with a very capable Snapdragon 801 processor, a 13 MP rear camera, and a 3,100 mAh battery.
While the company initially expected to sell around 50,000 units, it ended up selling over 1 million OnePlus One devices.
However, the OnePlus One wasn't easy to get.
Released in 2014, the OnePlus One was the company's first phone, combining high-end specs and budget-friendly pricing in a never-before-seen manner. Not only did it severely undercut some of the best Android smartphones of the time, including its closest rival, the Samsung Galaxy S5, but it also birthed the term "flagship killer." At just $299 for the base 16 GB model, the OnePlus One offered a crisp 5.5-inch 1080p display along with a very capable Snapdragon 801 processor, a 13 MP rear camera, and a 3,100 mAh battery. PhoneArena described it as a "true specs monster." For context, the Samsung Galaxy S5 launched at around $600.
It even undercut Apple when it came to storage, offering a 64 GB version for just $50 more than the 16 GB model, whereas Apple charged around $100 for a similar storage upgrade. While the company initially expected to sell around 50,000 units, it ended up selling over 1 million OnePlus One devices. Another reason for its appeal was that it shipped with Cyanogen OS, a version of CyanogenMod. This was a very popular custom ROM (a community-built version of Android that could replace a phone's stock firmware) at the time, and it offered not only a bloat-free Android experience, but also several features that were virtually unheard of.
Unique functionality included the ability to launch apps with gestures on the lock screen, separate volume controls for media, alarms, and ringtones, and a tool called Privacy Guard, which gave users more granular control over app permissions. However, the OnePlus One wasn't easy to get. The company employed an unheard-of invite system, wherein only existing OnePlus One owners and a select few forum posters and contest winners could send an invite code to another user, who could then buy the phone.
