Their 15 minutes.....did One Plus Marketing campaign backfire?

[Scott7217]

One+ missed their mark with me (and many others) by failing to deliver their product in a timely manner. My $350+ is just a fraction of the cash they are not because of that.

It is not unusual for manufacturers to run into product delays. Cell phones are sophisticated devices that are difficult to make. There's always a chance for any company to have problems during production.

 

[DirkBelig]

There is a post on their Announcements forum - A Few Words on Production Capacity - OnePlus Forums - where they basically say, "We had no idea a 64GB monster-spec'ed phone for only $350 would be so popular and we're scrambling to get parts to make more, but it takes time to get sufficient quantities in the quality we need."

This is the same mistake Google made with the Nexus 4 as they got DDoSed by all the people wishing to throw money at them. OnePlus not knowing that a phone with double the memory of a Nexus 5 at 12.5% lower cost may be popular would be like a bar in Ft. Lauderdale looking at Spring Break coming up and only ordering the usual amount of beer because you don't want to have it sitting around not selling. I can understand not wanting to bankrupt yourself on your first product, but barring it being the Yugo of smartphones, it's as no-brainer a sure-fire thing as offering free lap dances and having every frat boy within 100 miles showing up.

I somehow lucked out and was notified that today that I scored an invite from their Storm of Invites contest, so I should be able to order one tomorrow. (I've already got a Nexus 5 so it's not as if I'm hurting for a phone, I'm interested in seeing what the OPO is like and whether it's going to be too large to handle.) I think part of 1+'s problems is that so many spoiled entitled people are too impatient to wait for anything; instant gratification takes too darn long for them. They're like the people in Louis C.K.'s "Everything's Amazing and No One's Happy" bit. Chill. Or buy something else. Just quit crying.

 

[Almeuit]

It is not unusual for manufacturers to run into product delays. Cell phones are sophisticated devices that are difficult to make. There's always a chance for any company to have problems during production.

Very true but for a new phone that isn't as well known? Makes some not want to try it. If Apple or Samsung have a delay most will still wait since they know their phones are good. Same with a Nexus...

This is their first phone.. And it has issues.. Makes people sketchy. You're taking it as we say they won't sell one phone.. We aren't... But you can't deny an unknown phone being delayed won't hurt it..

Sent from my T-Mobile Note 3 using AC Forums.

 

[B. Diddy]

You know what this reminds me of? That whole Grid 10 debacle from a few years ago: Where Did Fusion Garage, its Lawyers, and the Grid 10 Tablet Go? | News & Opinion | PCMag.com

 

[Scott7217]

But you can't deny an unknown phone being delayed won't hurt it..

That's why I recommend just buying a different phone. If you have an alternative suggestion, I'd like to hear it.

 

[Farish]

So are you assuming a small company like this is carrying around massive amounts of cash and inventory to release these devices faster?

Just hypothetically, lets same the phone costs 100 dollars to make not counting R & D etc.

To have 100K units waiting, they would need to spend 10 million dollars alone not counting warehousing and distribution costs and that is if the phones cost 100 dollars to make.

From what I read so far on funding is they had 9 million dollars in April and 91K preorders by mid June.

They probably have to sell some before they can make some more.

Samsung/Apple etc have millions/billions of dollars when they started to roll out their devices.

 

[DirkBelig]

The first problem with your hypothesis is that OnePlus isn't some little startup in a garage, but a sorta adjunct of Oppo. Now some whiny people howled about how they were "lied to" when they discovered that connection (they're idiots), but that should be reassuring since they aren't exactly going to fold if a customer's check bounces.

The next problem is that there isn't an instant correlation between units sold and money ka-chinging into the bank account. This isn't like running a restaurant where you can buy tomorrow's ingredients with tonight's receipts. As the item I linked above explains, it takes them three months to get their screens. Let's pretend they have to sell their initial run before they can order more screens. By the time they have the cash, it's next month, then they get their screens and they have the next batch ready to sell. In November. When the iPhone 6 with a proper-sized screen is out along with the Nexus 6 with the Galaxy S6 lurking a few months beyond. They'd be dead - as would any business - which is why there are credit lines and standard remittance timelines.

 

[Almeuit]

That's why I recommend just buying a different phone. If you have an alternative suggestion, I'd like to hear it.

But why? This isn't about what other phone they could buy. The thread is about the delay possibly hurting their chances with some consumers... As I said in my opinion it's a definite yes.

Sent from my T-Mobile Note 3 using AC Forums.

 

[Scott7217]

The thread is about the delay possibly hurting their chances with some consumers... As I said in my opinion it's a definite yes.

The manufacturing delay with OnePlus hurts their chances if consumers elect to skip the OnePlus One and buy something else. That equals a lost sale for OnePlus. If OnePlus loses too many sales, they will go out of business.

 

[Scott7217]

I think part of 1+'s problems is that so many spoiled entitled people are too impatient to wait for anything; instant gratification takes too darn long for them.

I would agree. I also wonder if people would prefer OnePlus to rush their phone to market. I think that would increase the chances of phones with manufacturing defects ending up in customers' hands. People would be angry, and OnePlus would have to spend more money accepting returns, processing refunds, or rushing out new units to replace the defective ones.

 

[DirkBelig]

I made that argument to the sob sisters at Reddit who were calling BS on the delay for Cyanogen mod to patch the OpenSSL holes. As the Head & Shoulders ads say, you never get a second chance to make a first impression and if 1+ rushes out cruddy hardware with buggy software, word would spread hella fast that it was junk. So 1+ is damned if they do or don't delay. Babies are gonna cry regardless and with a quality product at that price, the sales lost to competitors will be made up by sales to patient people or those looking for the biggest bang for the buck. If anything, Google will lose Nexus sales to 1+ more than anything.

Placed my order today. Come on Mr. Postman!

 

[Robbie317]

I followed them on Google+, Twitter and even logged back into my Facebook account that had been idle for 18+ months to follow them with all their little promo's to get an invite... Even registered way before the official announcement on their website.... After a while they became worse than a lot of these other "Spam" emails I get.... I finally stopped following them on all social media after about their 3rd or 4th promo "Contest" to win the right to give us money.... I have a Nexus 5 and I love it... but had toyed with the idea of a Note 3 (or the 4 later this year) and I actually have disposable income to throw at it... So $350.... Sure why not... send me one.. I'd of been happy to prepay and wait a reasonable amount of time to get in line......

Was going to throw my disposable income at a LG G3 when it hit the market and then they had to go out and confirm that the Nexus program isn't dead.... Then I read rumors the Nexus 6 will be out in the fall and probably sport a 5.5 inch Qhd screen...... With possibly a Snapdragon 805 processor.... So now I'll probably wait and see what Samsung announces in the fall... Plus knowing Google some time around the end of July or in late August you'll start seeing "LEAKED" images of the Nexus 6 and by the time Samsung is ready to announce the Note 4 we will be getting "LEAKED" promo sheets and benchmarks on the "RUMORED" Nexus 6.....

a month or so ago I would have gladly given them my $350 - 400 and waited.... But the invite system just annoyed me over time to where other than just curious if they are actually shipping anything (Since I unfollowed everything a few weeks ago) I stopped on here to see... and apparently it's the same old same old still......

 

[recDNA]

If you are happy with your current phone, then why are you concerned with OnePlus having your money?

New toy! (and to be clear for me that is a GOOD thing). My phones are beyond phones and now even beyond pocket computers... They are my hobby and I love a new toy. Always have. I also like flashlights. Spend a fortune for them... But I don't golf nor enjoy traveling and I drive a Toyota. We all have our "thing".

Sent from my Hyperdriven Note 3