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Tag: OnePlus

  • OnePlus launches Experience Store in India

    OnePlus launches Experience Store in India

    Chinese smartphone brand OnePlus has launched an experience store in Coimbatore, India.

    It is one the firm’s planned network of 100 experience stores that are expected to be opened in 50 cities within the territory by next year, with a particular focus on tier two cities. OnePlus has around 25 experience stores established so far, as well as around 70 service centres. The new outlet also features its own service centre.

    Additionally, OnePlus has more than 2000 service centres in large-format retail stores throughout India.

    OnePlus India’s regional head of marketing Darshana Bala said the new store launch is in line with the company’s plan to augment its offline impression all over India, according to a SiliconIndia report.

    OnePlus has been eyeing the Indian market since its launch in 2014. It has a close to 40 per cent market share in the premium sector.

  • OnePlus TV confirmed to arrive in September

    After revealing the name of its upcoming TV, OnePlus announced today that the device will be launched on the market in September in just one country. If you’re looking to buy the OnePlus TV, you’ll be able to do that next month in India, as this is the first country getting it.

    In case you’re wondering why OnePlus decided to launch it India first, it appears that the Chinese company’s products have had great success in this country thanks to the many fans and supportive community.

    Over the past 6 years, we have achieved great success in India in large part because of our passionate and supportive community. Even after all these years, we’re excited to explore exciting new opportunities hand-in-hand with you. OnePlus TV is such an important product for all of us, and we can’t wait to see it in living rooms all over India.

    The good news is OnePlus announced it is working hard to launch the OnePlus TV in North America and Europe as soon as it establishes partnerships with most of the local and regional content providers because we all know “content is king.”

    Not many technical details about the OnePlus TV are known for the moment, but the company’s CEO Pete Lau said that “image and sound quality are fundamental features” the OnePlus must get right. He also said that OnePlus TV’s design and smart interconnectivity will probably make it even more exciting.

  • OnePlus reveals the name of its upcoming Android TV

    OnePlus reveals the name of its upcoming Android TV

    OnePlus has been dropping hints that it is working on a smart TV since last year. We had nothing concrete on the TV, up until it was listed on Bluetooth SIG, revealing that it will come in a big variety of sizes (from 43 all the way up to 75 inches) and have an LED panel.

    Little else was known, beside this, but just recently, a community representative took to the OnePlus forums and actually confirmed what the TV will be called, sharing alongside a (supposedly) final logo for the device. And, you guessed it, it’s called the OnePlus TV… wait, what did you expect? It’s the most logical naming scheme, and the company thought as much:

    “Yes, we are going to call our very first smart TV product “OnePlus TV” – simple yet to-the-point – as we believe there’s no other name that can best represent our value, vision and pride than naming it with our own brand.”

    The forum thread also reveals the official logo for the OnePlus TV (pictured above), which consists of the OnePlus logo with the letters TV next to it. Again, what else did you expect?

    Out of all the Bluetooth SIG listed OnePlus TV sizes, only the 75-inch version is said to be US-bound. Smaller OnePlus TVs will be launched in other parts of the world, with the 43-inch version, which is the smallest of the bunch, being an India-exclusive.

    Additional 55-inch and 65-inch OnePlus TV models appear on Bluetooth SIG as well, though it’s unclear where they will be released. Although OnePlus filed 40 model numbers for certifications on Bluetooth SIG, not all of them are different OnePlus TVs. These model numbers are merely indicators about the size and region where they will be launched.

  • The OnePlus 7 Pro in Nebula Blue and Mirror Grey

    The OnePlus 7 Pro in Nebula Blue and Mirror Grey

    Hours after OnePlus teased its 2019 flagship’s camera with a cover story shoot for Harper’s Bazaar India, official OnePlus 7 Pro press renders have leaked out online showing the triple-camera setup that was used and the rest of the phone’s sleek design.

    First published by the folks over at WinFuture and followed shortly after by unwatermarked versions courtesy of Ishan Agarwal, the press renders revealed today essentially confirm all other leaks and rumors.

    The OnePlus 7 Pro, as mentioned above, carries a new triple-camera setup on the rear which is aligned vertically and sits just above the dual-tone LED flash and the OnePlus logo. Regarding the actual sensors, rumor has it the flagship will sport a 48-megapixel primary camera that supports a wide f/1.6 aperture for improved low-light photography. Additionally, both OIS (optical image stabilization) and EIS (electronic image stabilization) are said to be present.

    Joining this primary snapper should be a new 16-megapixel super-wide-angle camera, similar to the one found on recent Samsung and LG flagships. Also present will be an 8-megapixel telephoto alternative which supports 3x optical zoom, as confirmed by OnePlus recently.

    Corroborated by today’s renders is the fact that the rear panel of the OnePlus 7 Pro will be carved out of a single slab of glass. In terms of colors, the renders that have leaked show the Mirror Grey and gradient Nebula Blue finishes, although a third brown option is rumored.

    Over on the front of OnePlus’ next flagship sits a huge 6.7-inch display that sports a 19.5:9 aspect ratio and a 3120 x 1440p (QHD+) resolution. This is paired with an extremely thin chin, almost no upper bezel, and virtually unnoticeable side bezels, the latter of which is party due to the display’s curved edges.

    Such a high screen-to-body ratio essentially results in the smartphone of many people’s dreams. However, it does come with one major drawback; there’s no room for the front-facing camera. Fortunately, OnePlus has a solution for this. Rather than removing the sensor entirely, the Chinese brand has chosen to equip the OnePlus 7 Pro with a small pop-out module on top. This isn’t visible in today’s renders but it’s rumored to house a 16-megapixel selfie snapper.

    Circling back to the OnePlus 7 Pro’s display, as confirmed recently it supports refresh rates of up to 90Hz. Depending on the content that is being shown, the display will automatically adjust the refresh rate to what it deems necessary, essentially improving the overall user experience while minimizing the impact on battery life. OnePlus is calling this technology Fluid AMOLED and it’ll be paired with an in-screen fingerprint scanner.

    Like most 2019 flagship smartphones, the OnePlus 7 Pro will arrive powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 855 which will be paired with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage as standard. However, if this isn’t enough, variants with 8GB of RAM and double the storage will also be available in addition to a 12GB of RAM model.

    Unsurprisingly, the flagship will ship with Android 9 Pie and the latest version of Oxygen OS straight out of the box. It’ll also include a 4,000mAh battery and support OnePlus’ 30W fast charging technology. Those interested will be able to purchase a version with 5G support too, although this will be limited to certain markets.

    Speaking of availability, the 4G version of the OnePlus 7 Pro 4G should be available in all markets where OnePlus currently operates shortly after its announcement on May 14th. Additionally, T-Mobile is expected to carry the device in the US. Regarding its pricing, the 6/128GB variant is expected to start at $699/€699 while a recent leakpointed towards a $749/€749 for the 8/256GB model. Lastly, the 12/256GB offering is expected to cost $819/€819.

  • Surprise New Model Introduction by OnePlus

    Surprise New Model Introduction by OnePlus

    Sparking rumors that the unwrapping of the OnePlus 7 is imminent, OnePlus today cut the price of its current model by 400 Yuan ($60 USD) in China only. This means that the OnePlus 6T now starts at 2,299 Yuan in the country. That is the equivalent of $342 USD based on current foreign exchange rates. This across the board price cut is a permanent one and is a move typically done by phone manufacturers to clear out inventory of a model that is about to be replaced by a newer device.
    That newer device would be the OnePlus 7. Exactly one month ago today, e-tailer GizTop listed the unannounced device revealing a treasure trove of possible, if unconfirmed, specs. If the leak was legit, we expect to see the latest OnePlus model feature a 6.5-inch AMOLED display. The device will be powered by Qualcomm’s latest and greatest chipset, the Snapdragon 855 Mobile Platform. Apparently, there will be three configurations, one with 8GB of memory and 128GB of storage, one with 8GB of memory and 256GB of storage and the top-of-the-line unit sporting 12GB of memory along with 256GB of storage. A triple-camera setup is said to adorn the rear of the device (48MP + 20MP + 5MP depth sensor) and we should see a 16MP pop-up front-facing selfie snapper. Keeping the lights on will be a 4000mAh battery with 44W rapid Dash charging, and OnePlus’ Oxygen OS 9 (based on Android 9 Pie) will be pre-installed. The price posted was $569, but the listing could have been a placeholder.
    After the price cuts are calculated, the OnePlus 6T with 6GB of memory and 128GB of storage is tagged at 2,299 Yuan. The model with 8GB of memory and 128GB of storage now costs 3,199 Yuan, and the variant with 8GB of memory and 256GB of storage will now run you 3,599 Yuan. In the U.S., the OnePlus 6T model with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of native storage is available from T-Mobile for $550 (or 24 monthly payments of $22.92). At the moment, that price is unaffected by the move made today by OnePlus. There have been rumors calling for a May release of the OnePlus 7, which makes the timing of today’s move rather intriguing.
    T-Mobile is the first U.S. carrier to team up with OnePlus and the partnership has proven to be beneficial to both firms. Even though the OnePlus 6T wasn’t available to T-Mobile subscribers until last November, the carrier sold enough units for OnePlus to finish fifth among phone manufacturers selling premium models in the states. As a result, we would certainly expect to see the OnePlus 7 offered by T-Mobile.
    What U.S. consumers won’t get this year is the first 5G enabled OnePlus phone. Back in February, OnePlus founder and CEO Pete Lau said that the company has long term goals regarding 5G in the U.S., but it won’t be shipping such a model into the U.S. this year.
  • Chinese Smartphone Realme Eyes to Expand Southeast Asia

    Chinese Smartphone Realme Eyes to Expand Southeast Asia

    BBK Electronics’ budget smartphone brand Realme is eyeing expansion into Southeast Asia, Africa and Europe. The company’s online distribution strategy has brought it success in the Indian market and makes broader expansion possible, according to Realme global CEO Sky Li Bingzhong. “The company’s asset-light operations and focus on online sales allow it to keep costs low. That way, more young consumers can afford its products, which makes the brand more competitive in the market,” said Li.

    Realme launched in India in May last year with handsets priced at INR8,990 (US$129) – becoming the second top-selling smartphone brand during the Diwali festival season from October to November. The brand has joined a number of Chinese phone manufacturers seeking to build strength in the Indian market as they challenge more established international competitors in more saturated markets.

    BBK also owns the Oppo, Vivo and OnePlus brands, selling mid- to high-end models. Independent Realme runs its own R&D operations, but partners with Oppo in smartphone production. Its expansion moves are indicative of Chinese phone manufacturers’ larger strategy to deploy varying brands that each target specific markets globally.

  • JD.com e-commerce joint venture launches officially in Thailand

    JD.com e-commerce joint venture launches officially in Thailand

    The JD Thai JV with Central Group has been formally launched this week under the brand JD Central.

    “Our partnership with Central Group – a one-of-a-kind union between China’s biggest retailer and Thailand’s strongest retail player – will provide Thai customers with a truly world-class e-commerce experience and guarantee 100 per cent product authenticity,” said Vincent Yang, CEO at JD Central.

    The new online platform officially debuts today, September 28, and will further extend JD’s footprint in the Southeast Asia region, which already includes an established e-commerce platform in Indonesia and a strategic investment in Tiki, Vietnam’s leading B2C e-commerce business.

    Central Group, Thailand’s largest retail conglomerate, offers JD instant critical mass through customer loyalty program and brand recognition, as well as merchandise. The site has been in testing mode since June 18, offering both direct sales and marketplace models. Pre-launch sales were described as having “exceeded expectations”.

    The JD Thai JV site includes categories for electronics, digital products, fashion, home appliances, books and music through to groceries, cosmetics, toiletries, beverages and processed foods.

    During the pre-launch phase, about 80 per cent of shopper accessed the site via phones, with FMCG products, mobile phones and fashion the most popular items purchased. Products from Chinese companies have proved especially popular, with leading brands including Xiaomi, Huawei, OnePlus and Lenovo.

    Yang said the JD Thai JV will “transform the local market and unlock the boundless consumer potential of the nation’s large population, with the ultimate goal of becoming the most trusted brand in Thailand”.

  • OnePlus taps CyberSource for payment management

    OnePlus taps CyberSource for payment management

    Smartphone startup OnePlus is tapping CyberSource’s suite of payment management solutions to securely accept digital payment methods through both web and mobile channels.

    OnePlus will deploy CyberSource’s full suite of payment, fraud management and tokenization services. Through the CyberSource global payment gateway, OnePlus will be able to process a wide range of international online and mobile payments from multiple credit card issuers, as well as certain alternative payment methods.

    Since its founding in 2013, OnePlus has grown rapidly in a short time and operates in more than 30 countries today. As the company continued to expand overseas, OnePlus wanted to offer preferred payment options and currencies in local markets to expand customer reach, without increasing payment security or fraud risk for customers in Europe and North America.

    “OnePlus needs to continue building trust among our customers for sustainable growth,” said Steven Gao, head of global eCommerce at OnePlus.

    “This relationship with CyberSource is important to that strategy as we are now able to accept a greater variety of payment modes and streamline payment acceptance, thus improving the entire customer experience.”

    Additionally, OnePlus will use CyberSource Decision Manager, which features a fraud detection Radar. With insights from over 68 billion transactions processed annually by Visa and CyberSource, supplemented by over 260 real-time global validation tests, OnePlus will be able to automatically screen more inbound orders faster, with increased accuracy and less manual interventions.

    This will significantly enable OnePlus to better mitigate its online fraud rate with the ability to accept more genuine orders with confidence, while minimizing the rejection of valid ones.