OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei is sorry for botching the OnePlus 2 launch. Oh, and the OnePlus One launch, as well.
"I'd like to apologize on behalf of OnePlus for the delay," Pei wrote in a blog post.
The company's first smartphone, the OnePlus One, was almost impossible to actually purchase (you needed to snag an invite or buy during a flash sale or on a Tuesday), so "we made rosy plans" for the OnePlus 2 rollout, Pei said this week.
"We were more confident, and prepared a lot more inventory. We told our users it would be 30-50x easier to get invites, and they needn't worry," he continued. "Yet, we only began shipping in meaningful quantities this week, nearly a month after our initial targeted shipping date. You can talk all you want, but in the end, flawless execution speaks much louder than unfulfilled promises."
Why is the OnePlus in such high demand? The phone has high-end specs, but a low price tag: $299 for the OnePlus One and $329 for the OnePlus 2 unlocked. During a recent event in New York City's Times Square (video below), people lined up around the block to test out the new smartphones, and the turnout seemed to surprise even OnePlus.
Like the OnePlus One, those who want the OnePlus 2 still need an invite to purchase. The rollout, meanwhile, was delayed last month by up to three weeks while work continued on the OxygenOS, USB Type-C cable, and overall product experience.
"We simply messed up again and apologize for that," Pei said. "We don't plan on making further promises for future launches, and will instead focus on showing the world how we've improved through our actions."
OnePlus on Sunday announced that more invitations were being sent. Still, Pei apologized directly to fans, partners, and the OnePlus team.
"We like to think that what we lack in experience can be made up for in hard work and invested hours, but this time that was not the case," Pei said, admitting that recent delays "caused huge reputational damage" to the company.
In an attempt to make up for multiple mishaps, OnePlus has been "discussing how we can make it up to our fans."
"One of the best ideas we have is to open sales up for an hour sometime later this month or early next, to make the entire process a bit more painless for would-be OnePlus 2 users," he said. "We will need to look into production and operations to determine when this is most feasible. We'll keep you posted."
For more, see PCMag's reviews of the OnePlus One and OnePlus 2, as well as the slideshow above.