The OnePlus One is a fantastic phone for a fantastic price. It’s borderline unbelievable. It’s also damn near impossible to get your hands on. Up until now, you’ve needed an invite to buy a OnePlus One, but that’s about to end. Starting in October, you’ll be able to straight-up buy one, if you’re fast.
OnePlus’s invite system has been a huge pain in the arse for users who just want the damn phone, and it’s led to all kinds of weirdness up to and including a strange ladies-only selfie contest. That system isn’t quite going away, but it will be joined by a traditional “get in line, first come first serve” setup. One that will let any quick-fingered invite-less peon to buy a phone out of a presumably pretty small batch.
Once the system launches in October, OnePlus will periodically open its doors to all buyers. These sale windows won’t be open forever. OnePlus says purchasing times will be limited, but hopefully not too infrequent. The first ones to the door will get a phone, but all other people who squeeze in after the stock is out but the window is still open will have their purchases converted to pre-orders. People who pick up an invite while they’re waiting in pre-order limbo can jump to the front of the line.
Chances are it’s still going to be insanely hard to get a OnePlus One for the forseeable future, but maybe it will be at least a little less confusing. [OnePlus]