While a specific launch date has not yet been confirmed, OnePlus has already stated that a new flagship may come out by the middle of the year. Seemingly confirming this timeline, the current-gen OnePlus 2 gets its price discounted in user-rich markets such as India.
According to Gadgets by NDTV, the OnePlus 2 is now available for as low as Rs. 20,999 for the base model with 16 GB of internal storage. The higher-capacity 64 GB version is currently priced at Rs. 22,999.
The prices have been cut by as much as Rs. 2,000 from their original release price tags, as both launched in India for Rs. 22,999 and Rs. 24,999.
The industry follower said that the current price slash is a sign of its widening market share in the country.
However, the timing may be coincidental, but a new flagship launching soon may also be a factor in the price cuts. An earlier exclusive by CNET confirmed that the company is targeting a mid-2016 launch for the OnePlus 3. While a specific date has yet to be placed, OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei already stated that the new flagship can be expected to appear "at the end of the second quarter."
Launching the OnePlus 3 is also reported to be pivotal for the company as it hopes to release the new flagship on a global scale right from the get-go.
Pei added, "The U.S. will be very important for us this year," stating that there will be a more traditional launch for the OnePlus. This could mean that the company will not be having an invite-only release in specified locations, which was how previous OnePlus flagships were rolled out.
Meanwhile, although details have yet to be made available on the OnePlus 3, fans can expect it to be an improved version of the current iteration. The OnePlus 2 launched last year with a "flagship killer" tag. Its specs sheet lists a 5.5-inch full HD display, a Snapdragon 810 processor paired with 4 GB of RAM, dual-SIM capability, USB Type-C connectivity and a 3,300 mAh battery.
