This is how OnePlus broke into the Apple-Samsung stronghold, this was its strategy to win over customers

RJ Kesari News Desk: It's been over a decade since OnePlus arrived in India. The company launched its first phone, the OnePlus One, in December 2014. 

Initially, the company launched its smartphones under the Flagship Killer tag. The company's philosophy behind the flagship killer tag was to offer top performance and flagship features at half the price of competitors like Apple and Samsung.

The invite system lasted for two years.

Initially, the company's smartphones were made available on an invitation basis. One had to sign up for the phone first, which the company called "Invite." 

This system may sound strange to you today, but when OnePlus entered the market in 2014, the company followed the invite system to manage the high customer demand for smartphones.

The invite system ended in 2016.

When the OnePlus 3 was launched on June 14, 2016 , the company permanently discontinued the invite system. 

The company has partnered with e-commerce platform Amazon in India since its inception, which is why every OnePlus phone launched has been sold on Amazon in addition to the company's official website.

How big is OnePlus's business in India?

According to the DataFin website, OnePlus has maintained a large, multi-billion dollar business in India, with FY25 revenue exceeding ₹12,983 crore. According to the site, the company was profitable in FY25 and maintains a loyal user base of approximately 28 million people. 

The company was one of the top mobile players in the country, especially in the flagship and mid-range segments, before gradually gaining dominance in the affordable segment as well.

The company will consolidate business from these countries

OnePlus recently announced that it will stop launching new products in Europe and North America, which the company described as a proactive global strategy adjustment. 

This announcement comes hours after a Bloomberg report stated that parent company Oppo is restructuring its smartphone business and plans to shut down OnePlus operations in several international markets.

The company has confirmed that it is closing its business in Europe and North America. There were similar rumors in India that the company was preparing to close its business in India as well, but a Moneycontrol report stated that the company is not currently planning to close its business in India. 

Responding to questions from the Economic Times, OnePlus India stated that the company is operating its business as usual, and all local operations are on track. The company added that it requests that people not pay attention to unverified speculation.

Competing with Apple-Samsung in the premium segment, this is how it won the hearts of customers

Whether it's the Indian market or the global market, Apple's iOS operating system was on one side and Samsung's premium Android experience on the other. 

It was considered difficult for any third brand to break through between these two giants, but OnePlus managed to break into both these strongholds. Now, the question arises: how?

Both Apple and Samsung have been launching phones with flagship features at very high prices for customers. OnePlus adopted its Flagship Killer philosophy, aiming to provide customers with a premium experience with flagship features at a lower price. 

The company hasn't dominated the Indian market for years without reason; customers have appreciated its flagship-killer performance, helping it maintain its market dominance.