OnePlus follows an unorthodox release schedule, generally releasing a new phone every 6 months or so. With rumors beginning to fly surrounding the OnePlus 6, it seems only a matter of time until we see an official announcement of the device. In what seems to be preparation for the successor of the OnePlus 5T, the device is no longer in stock in North America and OnePlus has confirmed to Engadget that it will not be restocked. Kyle Kiang, OnePlus’ head of global marketing and general manager of North America said the stock shortage was sooner than expected due to demand and that fans of the company looking to buy a OnePlus phone will have to wait for the release of the company’s next flagship.
The company is undergoing a period of growth due to the success of the OnePlus 5T, which saw the Chinese company’s sales grow by 139% in North America. Not having unsold smartphones on the shelf is good news for OnePlus, although it’s a bummer for potential new customers. Users will have to wait for sometime in Q2 of this year (meaning anytime in April, May, or June) for the OnePlus 6 to launch. It’s not like we know a huge amount about it either, other than that it seems to be launching with a notched 19:9 display and will also support Cat.16 LTE.
When asked by Engadget why OnePlus couldn’t simply divert devices from the supply chain in other regions to North America, Kiang said that the process of swapping out the AC adapters for localized chargers would have been too cumbersome. Those who want to get the OnePlus 5T can still buy it on Amazon, but it costs more than it would through OnePlus’ own site. If you’ve been thinking about buying the device for a while now and you’re in a region where you can buy it, you should. It likely won’t be around much longer.
Source: Engadget