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This coming week will see OnePlus launch its latest handset, the OnePlus 6T. What should you be watching for the launch event on the 29th? I suggest the working in the margins, the push on peripherals, and the energizing of the community.
OnePlus 6 Launch (Ewan Spence)Ewan Spence
It's unlikely that the main event – the reveal of the OnePlus 6T – will have any surprises. There was a time when you could have a nice surprise at a lunch event – but not when the handsets are expected to be a little less than a week after the presentation. Rather than the approach taken by some rivals (cough, Cupertino …), OnePlus is not asking everyone to pretend that the new OnePlus 6T and its features are a surprise to the audience or the media.
Instead OnePlus has an active program of talking about specific features. The key bullet points of the 6T are already there; we know that there is an in-display fingerprint, we know the battery size is up, and we know that there is a focus on faster software and hardware. We also know the negative, there is no wireless charging, we know the 3.5mm headphone jack has been removed, and the screen is still notched.
This is a pretty honest approach. OnePlus is still a lean operation, and new technology is available in the supply chain so it can be considered. Even without the confirmation you would be able to do so in the future.
There are still some decisions to be made, and trade-offs that I am sure will be strongly argued internally. To me the event is less about 'what' and more about the 'why'.
To take one example. The OnePlus 6T will come with an in-display fingerprint reader. That's the what. It will take a few moments to say, and there will be a big cheer from the audience of OnePlus fans who have bought a ticket to the rescheduled launch event. It's what comes next that's important. Why has OnePlus made this decision? How has it implemented the technology. What did it have to do to get the hardware into the device? Does it make it easier to keep up with the neighbors?
So what I expect from the launch event is pretty simple. In a post-leak word I expect to see the working behind the decisions.
OnePlus 6 Launch (Ewan Spence)Ewan Spence
There will be more than the OnePlus 6T on show. The removal of the 3.5mm headphone jack will be even more focused on the audio and audio effects. No doubt this will be part of the 'why', but it's also part of OnePlus' business strategy. The handsets are not enough leaders previous iterations have been working with smaller margins than the competition. Building up the accessories and lifestyle add-ons will increase the potential revenue per customer. Given the success of Apple's AirPods, OnePlus will want to ensure that its community is sold on its wireless headphones.
And then there's the community.
OnePlus is still a relatively small company. It's not a Samsung Gold Apple, it does not have a huge marketing budget. It has always relied on its community to evangelize the handsets, the peripherals, and the brand. Having the die-hards waits the launch event in New York will keep the social media noise levels high.
And this launch event has a little bonus. There's a "big bad" on the horizon that oneplays the plucky little OnePlus. Apple scheduling its iPad Pro and MacBook launch event on the same day as OnePlus, in the same city as OnePlus, was an absolute gift.
Yes OnePlus has had an organizational headache in bringing forward the 24 hours, it's going to blow through its entertainment budget, and there will be a shortened news cycle for the new handset as Tim Cook's steamroller gets into gear … but now CEO Pete Lau can take these disadvantages and use them to rally the support in New York and beyond to OnePlus, to build up stronger emotional connections to the brand, and use that to push the smartphone the wilder world.
OnePlus 6T Launch Page (oneplus.com)OnePlus.com
We all know what is going on on the show from OnePlus this week. In essence that's not important. What is important is that the New York event is a pivot point for the community. Monday's launch is about getting the word out about the OnePlus 6T … it's more about rewarding the community and giving it permission to get the word out about the OnePlus 6T
OnePlus' gift is iPad Pro launch clash …
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This coming week will see OnePlus launch its latest handset, the OnePlus 6T. What should you be watching for the launch event on the 29th? I suggest the working in the margins, the push on peripherals, and the energizing of the community.
OnePlus 6 Launch (Ewan Spence)Ewan Spence
It's unlikely that the main event – the reveal of the OnePlus 6T – will have any surprises. There was a time when you could have a nice surprise at a lunch event – but not when the handsets are expected to be a little less than a week after the presentation. Rather than the approach taken by some rivals (cough, Cupertino …), OnePlus is not asking everyone to pretend that the new OnePlus 6T and its features are a surprise to the audience or the media.
Instead OnePlus has an active program of talking about specific features. The key bullet points of the 6T are already there; we know that there is an in-display fingerprint, we know the battery size is up, and we know that there is a focus on faster software and hardware. We also know the negative, there is no wireless charging, we know the 3.5mm headphone jack has been removed, and the screen is still notched.
This is a pretty honest approach. OnePlus is still a lean operation, and new technology is available in the supply chain so it can be considered. Even without the confirmation you would be able to do so in the future.
There are still some decisions to be made, and trade-offs that I am sure will be strongly argued internally. To me the event is less about 'what' and more about the 'why'.
To take one example. The OnePlus 6T will come with an in-display fingerprint reader. That's the what. It will take a few moments to say, and there will be a big cheer from the audience of OnePlus fans who have bought a ticket to the rescheduled launch event. It's what comes next that's important. Why has OnePlus made this decision? How has it implemented the technology. What did it have to do to get the hardware into the device? Does it make it easier to keep up with the neighbors?
So what I expect from the launch event is pretty simple. In a post-leak word I expect to see the working behind the decisions.
OnePlus 6 Launch (Ewan Spence)Ewan Spence
There will be more than the OnePlus 6T on show. The removal of the 3.5mm headphone jack will be even more focused on the audio and audio effects. No doubt this will be part of the 'why', but it's also part of OnePlus' business strategy. The handsets are not enough leaders previous iterations have been working with smaller margins than the competition. Building up the accessories and lifestyle add-ons will increase the potential revenue per customer. Given the success of Apple's AirPods, OnePlus will want to ensure that its community is sold on its wireless headphones.
And then there's the community.
OnePlus is still a relatively small company. It's not a Samsung Gold Apple, it does not have a huge marketing budget. It has always relied on its community to evangelize the handsets, the peripherals, and the brand. Having the die-hards waits the launch event in New York will keep the social media noise levels high.
And this launch event has a little bonus. There's a "big bad" on the horizon that oneplays the plucky little OnePlus. Apple scheduling its iPad Pro and MacBook launch event on the same day as OnePlus, in the same city as OnePlus, was an absolute gift.
Yes OnePlus has had an organizational headache in bringing forward the 24 hours, it's going to blow through its entertainment budget, and there will be a shortened news cycle for the new handset as Tim Cook's steamroller gets into gear … but now CEO Pete Lau can take these disadvantages and use them to rally the support in New York and beyond to OnePlus, to build up stronger emotional connections to the brand, and use that to push the smartphone the wilder world.
OnePlus 6T Launch Page (oneplus.com)OnePlus.com
We all know what is going on on the show from OnePlus this week. In essence that's not important. What is important is that the New York event is a pivot point for the community. Monday's launch is about getting the word out about the OnePlus 6T … it's more about rewarding the community and giving it permission to get the word out about the OnePlus 6T
OnePlus' gift is iPad Pro launch clash …
