OnePlus hopes to abolish its invite system this October

By Killian Bell

Still waiting for an invite to purchase the OnePlus One? So are thousands of others — but come October, the device should be a great deal easier to get hold of. OnePlus has today confirmed that it is finally preparing to abandon its invite system altogether and introduce a more traditional pre-order system instead.

“We are working on a pre-orders system,” confirmed Carl Pei, director of OnePlus Global, during a Reddit AMA. “We were initially aiming for September but it’s been slightly delayed, hopefully we’ll be ready to launch it in October.”

After announced the One earlier this year, OnePlus said that it wanted to avoid a pre-order system due to the fact that it can create frustration and uncertainty. The company wanted to avoid a situation wherein customers could place an order that they would then have to wait weeks or even months for.

With the invite system, would-be One owners are issued a code when a handset actually becomes available for them to purchase, so once they’ve ordered and handed over their cash, their device is on its way within a few working days. That’s all well and good if you are lucky enough to get an invite.

But the frustration still remains for those who cannot get their hands on an invite. Fortunately, that shouldn’t be the case for too much longer.

Given OnePlus’s track record with delays, however, don’t be too surprised if the pre-order system doesn’t arrive in October. Just expect to be able to place an order sometime before the end of the year, and then you shouldn’t be too disappointed if you end up having to wait a little longer.

While we’re on the subject of OnePlus delays, the company has also confirmed this week that its Bamboo SwapStyle Cover, which was set to go on sale this month, has had to be sent back to the lab for alterations after the company discovered a “minor flaw” with a production sample.