What are OnePlus phones? A guide to the company and its smartphones

• The comparison
• Tutorials
• What are OnePlus phones? A guide to the company and its smartphones

Of all the smartphone brands on the market, OnePlus has arguably the most passionate fan base (except perhaps Apple). Its subscribers often form long lines outside stores to pick up the company's device on launch day, and it has a lively online community via the OnePlus forums and Reddit. So what's the attraction? Well, the brand first became known for its flagships, which offered top-tier features and specifications at lower prices. In recent years, OnePlus has even operated in the high-end market that it once sought to undermine. Now the new OnePlus phones are among the hottest products of the year, with people clamoring to see the company's next big thing, something OnePlus is doing its best to ignite with a slow hint of information in the lead up. to the pitches. To help you better understand OnePlus, including the products it sells, we've explained everything you need to know about the company.

A brief history of OnePlus

OnePlus was formed in late 2013, and the company launched its first phone, the OnePlus One, in early 2014. The brand has grown rapidly, launching into new regions in 2014, and then releasing new phones on a yearly basis. OnePlus' growing popularity is partly explained by its "invitation" system to buy its smartphones: you had to sign up to receive an invitation to buy the phone. This created further hype around OnePlus devices, akin to a ``forbidden fruit,'' although the system was dropped with the release of the OnePlus 3. In 2018, OnePlus switched to non-phone products and released its first headphones. wireless, which you can read more about. Along with Oppo, Vivo and Realme, OnePlus is owned by technology conglomerate BBK Electronics. Its older brother on this list is Oppo. OnePlus has previously confirmed that it shares R&D teams and manufacturing lines with Oppo and often the brand's phones bear more than a fleeting resemblance to each other.

What phones does OnePlus make?

OnePlus 8 Pro (Image credit: TechRadar) The flagship line of OnePlus phones is the most numbered: the OnePlus 7 and 8, for example. In recent years these phones have had a ``Pro'' version accompanying the standard model, allowing the brand to be sold to the high-end and high-end market at the time. The T line of phones, released about six months after the numbered line, takes the phone from six months ago and modifies it little to accommodate technological advances. The OnePlus 7T was an update over the 7, and so on. OnePlus has always argued that a T-series phone isn't a definitive release, but precedent suggests they're all but guaranteed. In 2020, OnePlus launched the OnePlus Nord line of smartphones. These are mid-range devices, meant to capture the market segment the brand once had, but left with the growing premium of its flagship line. There are also budget units on the northern line.

OnePlus phone availability information

OnePlus 8T (Image credit: TechRadar) The numbered series of OnePlus phones launches in the early months of the year, usually in April or March, with the T version of the device launching around six months later, around September or October. . The Northern Line doesn't seem to have an annual cycle, although this is fairly new, so we could see that pattern over time. Usually, OnePlus phones are available worldwide, although Nord phones, which have limited availability, are not. The original OnePlus Nord didn't come out in the United States, for example.

Other technologies sold by OnePlus

OnePlus Bullets Wireless 2 (Image credit: Future) Along with its smartphone lines, OnePlus also makes wireless earbuds, like the Bullets Wireless and Buds. These are designed for use with OnePlus phones and are often quite affordable. OnePlus is also taking its first steps into the wearable technology market, as the OnePlus Band fitness tracker has already launched in some countries and the OnePlus Watch is expected soon. We've also seen a variety of OnePlus TVs, but they're only available in limited countries.