OnePlus demonstrated true wit in response to rival smartphone makers' vigorous marketing stunts. On the occasion of One's launch anniversary on Thursday, OnePlus took a dig at its rivals with a ₹1 discount on its flagship One smartphone.
The smartphone maker said the move wasn't to attract consumers with a price cut, but to simply show how the company's pricing for the One smartphone is just right.
"We strongly believe that the One is one of the most amazing, user-focused devices on the market. We know that this move may seem odd to some, but our message is clear: we refuse to overcharge for our devices, just to slash prices later in a marketing blitz. Our flagship killers have an amazing price tag, starting from day 1," OnePlus said in its official blog on Thursday.
It is a common practice among major smartphone makers to slash the price of their handsets as they age. But OnePlus is making it clear that its beliefs are simply different than most companies. OnePlus also noted that its ₹1 price cut hurts the company's already slim profit margins.
"Yes, even a price reduction of a single rupee has an enormous impact on our company. We still offer more value per rupee than any of our competition out there in offering you a fantastic phone that is loaded to the gills with fantastic specs and a software experience to boot," the company noted.
The new pricing for OnePlus One has already gone live. The 16GB Silk White variant now sells for ₹18,998 and the 64GB Sandstone Black is available for ₹21,998. What's more interesting is the fact that OnePlus finally overcame the supply issues and made the One smartphone available without any invites. So anyone who wants to purchase the handset can directly go to Amazon India store and order it.
Although OnePlus kept the pricing of its One smartphone almost intact, it generously offered steep 50% discount on all of its accessories, including JBL E1+ earphones, all types of screen protectors, protective cover and flip covers. But the offer lasted only for Thursday.
