OnePlus 3 T-1 - The just said "Never Settle" again. Why?

[Aquila]

OnePlus 3 T-1 ad on Twitter uses the phrase "T-1: More Never Settle".

Why do they keep saying, "Never Settle" when there's a giant list of things you have to "settle" for on every single device, including OnePlus devices, which have more things to settle on that most of the devices we talk about here?

If they got rid of that phrase and started marketing it as, "one of the best values around" I'd probably be one of their biggest supporters. As it is, every single year it comes off as a huge lie where a bunch of people will try to pretend that it's the best phone out there, not just one of the best values out there. So annoying.

 

[JonnyT]

I think it's meant to be provocative, which isn't an uncommon trait for marketing.

"One of the best values around" is a conclusion from a review, not really a tagline. I get your point, but it's probably more just power users/enthusiasts who feel that way, hence why it's mentioned on the forums quite often. If they're trying to target the average user, I'm not so sure there's a compromise.

 

[Aquila]

I think it's meant to be provocative, which isn't an uncommon trait for marketing.

"One of the best values around" is a conclusion from a review, not really a tagline. I get your point, but it's probably more just power users/enthusiasts who feel that way, hence why it's mentioned on the forums quite often. If they're trying to target the average user, I'm not so sure there's a compromise.

Yep, you're 100% right. We have four different "fastest" or "best" networks in the US, the Pixel is "only on Verizon", 3 carriers have "unlimited" data - it's all complete nonsense and I get that's how marketing works. And you're also right that the vast majority of people aren't going to notice or care about that tagline. But to me, it comes off as a blatant lie rather than spin. And I'm not even super comfortable trying to define the difference between spin and dishonesty This is truly a non issue but it still bugs me.

 

[JonnyT]

I agree, and that's a line that's far too often crossed. They do probably have the most threads on here related to a phone's marketing campaign though, so maybe they were going for the "all press is good press" approach

 

[doa70]

Nah, marketing is all about buzz. "Best value" is interpreted by (US anyhow) consumers as cheap, ie settling, ie the exact opposite of "Never Settle" and generates less than zero buzz. The "Never Settle" tag equates to excitement, something that not everyone has or can get even though nearly everyone shopping phones certainly can have a OP, especially those looking for a "flagship" caliber device.

 

[Feldon]

I'd do a commercial of ridiculously opulent and wealthy people playing with an iPhone 7 Plus or Samsung S7 Edge at the golf course, at a beauty retreat, in a Rolls Royce, all with classical music playing. Then skip the vinyl record and show some exploded 3D shots of the OnePlus 3. "If you can't tell the difference, why pay the difference?"


Same scene of ridiculously opulent and wealthy people playing with an iPhone 7 Plus or Samsung S7 Edge at the golf course, at a beauty retreat, in a Rolls Royce, all with classical music playing. Cut to a woman about to break open a piggy bank. Then someone off-camera hands her a OnePlus 3. Announcer: "Now you can get a blazing fast phone with an incredible camera without breaking the bank."


Another commercial. Three identical sports cars. One has an iPhone tag and $849 price on it. One has a Samsung tag and $849 price on it. One has a OnePlus tag and $399 tag on it. Announcer: "So which one would you buy?" Guy: "So wait, they all go the same speed and handle just as well?" Announcer: "Yep." Guy: "Is this a trick question?" Cut to a horse by a white fence whinnying. Announcer "Now you can get a phone with all the horsepower you need without paying double."

 

[JonnyT]

"If you can't tell the difference, why pay the difference?"

Hahaha, I love this.

 

[fuzzylumpkin]

Why do McDonald's say "I'm lovin' it!"rather than "it's relatively cheap and quick and I'm in a rush."? Why do diet coke say "just for the taste of it." Instead of "because I don't want my arse to get any bigger."?

It's just a slogan, marketing spiel. And the less attention you pay to it the better off you'll be.

 

[AustinIllini]

Android Marshmallow. Come on guys. This should be the best phone on the market and they mess it up with an old OS.

 

[Aquila]

Nah, marketing is all about buzz. "Best value" is interpreted by (US anyhow) consumers as cheap, ie settling, ie the exact opposite of "Never Settle" and generates less than zero buzz. The "Never Settle" tag equates to excitement, something that not everyone has or can get even though nearly everyone shopping phones certainly can have a OP, especially those looking for a "flagship" caliber device.

Right, but they are settling in a LOT of ways - which is my issue. If the S8 comes out and says, "never settle" and they're the leader across the board on both components and experience (this is hypothetical, I don't think they will) ... they could safely say "Never Settle" and it'd be more or less true.

 

[Ry]

It's their marketing tagline. No big deal.

 

[Feldon]

Android Marshmallow. Come on guys. This should be the best phone on the market and they mess it up with an old OS.

Nougat is coming in December.

 

[PAC757]

Why do McDonald's say "I'm lovin' it!"rather than "it's relatively cheap and quick and I'm in a rush."? Why do diet coke say "just for the taste of it." Instead of "because I don't want my arse to get any bigger."?

It's just a slogan, marketing spiel. And the less attention you pay to it the better off you'll be.

I love this ^ lol

 

[1213 1213]

I disagree about it just being marketing. It's their ethos. It's about people who aren't willing to spend on a flagship. I see it as an approach, rather than what it is, that tries to provide premium software and hardware experience at mid-range prices. And for the most part they do that, and the more they try to do that each and every year the more the damn price keeps going up lol.

 

[Aquila]

I disagree about it just being marketing. It's their ethos. It's about people who aren't willing to spend on a flagship. I see it as an approach, rather than what it is, that tries to provide premium software and hardware experience at mid-range prices. And for the most part they do that, and the more they try to do that each and every year the more the damn price keeps going up lol.

I would agree that's what we're supposed to be perceiving, but the problem is that they keep making major compromises and putting out a really really good midrange phone with a couple high end components then a whole lot of people try saying that it's somehow a better device than the actual flagships. It's obviously not better, but it IS more affordable and I think that's what they mean - but buying this "Never Settle" nonsense seems like a bad idea - every device settles, midrangers settle more than flagships and OnePlus settles more than most. That isn't to say they lack a good product, it's definitely good enough for most people - but it's impossible to pretend that it's the same thing as the actual leaders.

I love seeing all the competition in the midrange and I was hoping that it'd start causing actual flagship costs to go down, but it seems the mdirangers are actually increasing their prices and the flagships are going even higher.

 

[AustinIllini]

Nougat is coming in December.

I wish I could trust OnePlus. I can't, unfortunately.

 

[Feldon]

Buying this "Never Settle" nonsense seems like a bad idea - every device settles, midrangers settle more than flagships and OnePlus settles more than most.

Perhaps I had a uniquely bad experience with carrier-controlled Samsung, but I really think that the OnePlus 3 makes up the distance between it and the so-called flagships just by running the absolute minimum software stack and having an abundance of RAM. 6GB is unusual, possibly unheard of in the smartphone industry.

To me it's like trying to compare an SUV laden down with 5 passengers and 4 suitcases with the full towing package compared to a light sports car carrying a minimum of baggage. Sure, for raw power and features, the SUV is the obvious winner. But the Sports car will get you there much faster and with a lot more enjoyment. I think the real world experience of these phones is going to defy the spec sheet.

 

[JonnyT]

I wish I could trust OnePlus. I can't, unfortunately.

I do, because I'm getting OS updates every fortnight and have had the 1st September security update since very end of August, and had the 1st October update around the end of September. I've never had a phone update this often. Will it stay this way? Probably not, but being on the Community Builds has been awesome, it's like we're really close to what the Devs are actually doing.

If they can keep it up until the OP4, I'll be happy. I appreciate, though that there are a fair few people will want to keep their OP3 beyond that, and if support is sacrificed due to the OP4's release, that will be a major bummer for them.

 

[Aquila]

Perhaps I had a uniquely bad experience with carrier-controlled Samsung, but I really think that the OnePlus 3 makes up the distance between it and the so-called flagships just by running the absolute minimum software stack and having an abundance of RAM. 6GB is unusual, possibly unheard of in the smartphone industry.

To me it's like trying to compare an SUV laden down with 5 passengers and 4 suitcases with the full towing package compared to a light sports car carrying a minimum of baggage. Sure, for raw power and features, the SUV is the obvious winner. But the Sports car will get you there much faster and with a lot more enjoyment. I think the real world experience of these phones is going to defy the spec sheet.

I like the analogy and it's very similar to how I thought of the original moto x.

 

[Novaprime]

Why do McDonald's say "I'm lovin' it!"rather than "it's relatively cheap and quick and I'm in a rush."? Why do diet coke say "just for the taste of it." Instead of "because I don't want my arse to get any bigger."?

It's just a slogan, marketing spiel. And the less attention you pay to it the better off you'll be.

Ha ha. "Because I don't want my arse to get any bigger" is fantastic. Missed opportunity right there.