Would the OnePlus 3 be a "big deal"l if it was OnePlus' first phone?

[dpham00]

When the opo came out, it was $300...and gave great, very close to top end specs. In 2014 when it came out, in the USA, you really didn't have any other option for a decent high end sub-$600 phone...so it was really a "killer" phone, however, you had to jump through hoops to get it. I think that OnePlus did this to keep the sales low because they were probably losing money or running just at the wire on this phone. So, come op2...they stripped the phone and jacked up the price to $330.

Now, the op3 is out...good specs sure...but also at $400, it's no longer that huge bang for the buck, as you can find phones in similar price points like mxpe ($400), axon pro ($450), axon 7 ($450) and Nexus 6p ($500). It should be noted that the prices are at launch. For example, as of this post, you can hop on Amazon and buy the mxpe for $240, but of course it is a yesteryear device by now.

So, getting down to the main point...if the OP3 was OP's first phone, released today...I don't think that there would really be a big commotion about it...It would just be another Chinese smartphone manufacturer pushing out good specs, but not the best, at a price similar to it's competition. Not much of a "killer" here. Just another "good" phone in a crowded $400ish price range market.

 

[Golfdriver97]

I think if they didn't have the invite system, it would have been better received. Have it be a first come, first served basis, but if they would have made it clear that there may be delays in shipping depending on order demands, I think the public would have bought more of them.

However, hindsight is 20/20. For all we know, my suggestion probably would have made as big of a mess as the way everything already unfolded.

 

[JonnyT]

I think that given the sheer build quality of the phone, the excellent software, specs and performance of the phone, this still really stands out for me even as it pushes into a higher price bracket in my opinion.

 

[D13H4RD2L1V3]

If it was released in all the midst of this competition, they probably would be treated like just another generic OEM.

The OP3 is actually a good phone in my books, especially for the price. It's just that the competition in its price bracket is heating up, so it doesn't have much of a charm than what the OPO had.

That said, I personally think it's way better than the forgettable OnePlus 2.

R.I.P GPe program

 

[Aquila]

I think that the $400 OP3 is much more worth it than the $300 OP1. In 2014, absolutely true that there was a vacuum. Now, there's a LOT of competition and none of it allows much room for slacking off.

The tough thing to figure out is... almost NONE of the OEMs are profitable on mobile. And that's trying to play Samsung's game. Moto and OnePlus and some others tried to change the game, and in many ways they definitely improved the industry by doing so. But it seems like compromising in order to hit a price point is not necessarily a conversation people want to have. They'll do it when they let dollars dictate the conversation, but apples to apples if the phone isn't top notch - that's a difficult hurdle to overcome.

 

[Golfdriver97]

One Plus and Moto both showed the world that a mid range phone can do well. Hopefully, the OP3 can do well in normal use to promote more sales of following lines.

 

[Aquila]

One Plus and Moto both showed the world that a mid range phone can do well. Hopefully, the OP3 can do well in normal use to promote more sales of following lines.

The OP3 is also MUCH closer to a flagship in terms of components than the original Moto X devices were. The MXPE kind of broke that trend and brought it up to true flagship specs and performance, and while I can't argue that it's not the best Moto X - I don't think it was my favorite. The OP3 is more of the MXPE of 2016, with a few obvious differences IMO. I'd have a hard time describing the MXPE as either a midrange or as a flagship - it's kind of in between because it's still going for that work smarter not harder philosophy to an extent. I don't believe the OP3 is in the same class as the S7E, HTC 10, Nexus 6P, etc. level of flagships (although it beats the 6P in several aspects being newer, etc) - but I also don't think it's a Moto G by any means. There's some class in between that is being fleshed out that I think we're going to find the Axon 7 being the leader of fairly soon.

 

[Golfdriver97]

The OP3 is also MUCH closer to a flagship in terms of components

I can agree with that. I think everyone has a hard time agreeing on a classification for the OP devices. They are typically better than most mid grade devices, but not quite elite, either.