OnePlus to bring 'more affordable' smartphone product line to India

The announcement comes at a time when there are calls for boycott of Chinese products amid Sino-India border tension

Premium smartphone maker OnePlus on Tuesday said it will soon introduce a "more affordable" smartphone product line in India and Europe.

The announcement comes at a time when there are calls for boycott of Chinese products from certain sections in the country amid Sino-India border tension.

"Never Settle has always been at the core of OnePlus. For more than 6 years, that has meant working hard to always deliver the best experience for flagship smartphone users.

"However, as we've grown together with our community, we know that there are many people who want a really solid smartphone that meets their everyday needs, and for a more accessible price," OnePlus co-founder and CEO Pete Lau said in a blogpost.

He added that the company is going to start "relatively small with this new product line by first introducing it in Europe and India".

OnePlus, however, did not disclose the pricing of the new line-up. Its latest OnePlus 8 series is priced between Rs 44,999-59,999.

OnePlus, which competes with Apple and Samsung in the premium phone segment (devices priced above Rs 30,000) in India, said it is looking at bringing more affordable smartphones to North America in the near future as well.

"This new product team is led by Paul Yu, who has headed product hardware development for many of our previous flagship devices over the past 5 years. We've also assembled a team of young, creative and enthusiastic OnePlus staff from all over the world, who have been working tirelessly over the past few months to bring this product line to life," Lau said.

India is the second-largest smartphone market after China and clocked a shipment of 152.5 million smartphones in 2019. The smartphone market in India registered 1.5 per cent year-on-year growth in the March quarter with shipments touching 32.5 million units, according to research firm IDC.