It’s interesting the timing of OnePlus to have released this new flagship killer phone called OnePlus Nord. OnePlus always set’s the road for other phone manufacturers to release their new devices throughout the year. Take a look at the track record of OnePlus, their timing and marketing really set them apart from other competitors of OnePlus who are not as good. Although I want to talk about the OnePlus Nord and its timing, I am curious to know why now? Did they already predict the economic impact of the pandemic before we knew it? This is not a conspiracy theory, this is just me questions the existence of what is existing. Or maybe they just thought the world would get into a recession in 2020 as market researchers predicted without knowing anything about the pandemic.
OnePlus as I remember is known for a single statement we Indians call it — “Value for money”. The first phone I ever started using was a Nokia brick phone, followed by the well known Nokia 1100 which cost about Rs. 7000, which back then for a phone was a flagship price. So I and my sister used to share the single device with a set time-limit. My predominant use was playing snake and making ringtones mostly as not a lot of kids back then had a cellphone to talk to.
When I first heard about OnePlus, it was this mass marketing on referral only devices in 2013/2014. The feeling of missing out was a thing back then. Especially when the reviews are great and you can’t really get your hands onto this device without being referred was a demand creator on its own. People started contacting every single one of their friends to see if anyone had a referral code. And the first reaction when people heard the name “OnePlus One” was literally “OnePlus what? Is it buy one get one?” No one seems to know why OnePlus came up with the name OnePlus, but it just worked.
Their timing of the release of phones is one of the best and a leading way for brands to release their models. There are multiple reasons behind defining the date of release. And, for a product to come into the market, they would have defined the date of release months, quarters, or sometimes years before it is even released. But what is odd here is that OnePlus Nord phones really isn’t anything new and innovative to the market. Not a significant change in the camera, screen, battery, sound, or even the operating system. This brings the question of their timing of deciding to manufacture and release it at this time of the year.
OnePlus had this trend of releasing the OnePlus X in the middle of May and then in 3 months, they release the OnePlus XT which will have some fixes in hardware, predominantly the battery. I bought an OnePlus 3T back in December 2016 and it is still my go-to phone at my desk where I play songs on Spotify while I use my iPhone for my personal use. It’s old and it needs rest.
OnePlus Nord was not a thing until June 2020. Though their primary marketing social media influencers and YouTubers, it didn't really take off because people where focussed on the pandemic. And OnePlus is known for making hard decisions on the geographic locations when releasing the product. I am not sure if there are any other reasons, but one of them is demand creation. The Indian market which has already been a primary market for OnePlus needs to release it in India in the first phase to get the “views” and marketing. One in every 6 humans is an Indian, so that holds a priority.
The pricepoint is definitely one of the key factors I raise this question though. Why did OnePlus move out of their flagship and expensive phones to their original strategy of making affordable phones? And why now?
When the world getting into an unprecedented time, it's hard to imagine anyone who was willing to spend a $1000 last year to spend the same now or the next few years. There is a huge market shift from spending mode to recovery mode right now. People spend money on takeout just so they can help the local businesses, not because they feel like it anymore. The normal times are forgotten as we speak, and the new normal is yet to be defined.
I believe, OnePlus took the right step at the right time to keep the market share going. OnePlus’s customers who have grown these years who were able to afford $800 might be a middle-class group with dependency on the paycheck which is uncertain right now. I personally would think a lot before upgrading to a new device if it costs about $1000 right now. Especially when there is a company which has been consistent in producing viable devices all these years, and you want to choose between a Samsung flagship vs a reliable OnePlus that is both affordable and on par with current devices out there, I would choose OnePlus again. That’s exactly what OnePlus want us to do.
What do you think? Did Apple do the same with iPhone SE too?
