The OnePlus One smartphone is available in the UAE from today, and without the invite-only restriction that was placed on it in other markets.
The phone, which the Chinese company OnePlus said sold close to a million units last year, is available via souq.com and costs Dh1,149.
It has been marketed as a premium smartphone at a mid-range price and has received critical acclaim around the world.
Consumers were initially able to buy the phone after acquiring an invite via an existing OnePlus One owner or through competitions conducted by the company.
This built OnePlus a cult following as the phone was considered rare, while it was also able to manufacture a precise level of supply in keeping with demand.
In February, almost a year after its initial release, the One was made available to purchasers on Tuesdays only. Then, in April, the company ended its invite-to-buy scheme allowing anyone to buy the device at any time.
One Plus has recently announced that the OnePlus 2 will be an invite-only handset like its predecessor when it launches in the third quarter of this year.
As of March the company said in its blog that it had expanded from about 30 employees to almost 700 in just more than a year.
The One device is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor, has 3GB of RAM, 64GB of storage, a 5.5-inch screen, and a 13MP Sony Exmor rear camera. It runs on Google’s Android Lollipop operating system.
business@thenational.ae
Follow The National's Business section on Twitter