China-based OnePlus is seeing increasing demand for its smartphones, particularly in emerging markets like India, so the company has decided to start manufacturing its current flagship smartphone in the country starting early next year. The company has confirmed that it’s going to start manufacturing the OnePlus 3T in India from 2017 to better meet demand in the lucrative market.
Data from market research firm IDC shows that OnePlus is the third biggest vendor of premium smartphones priced over $300 in India, only behind Samsung and Oppo. It’s in a good position to extend its footing in India but supply issues have proven to be a big problem.
OnePlus discontinued a contract manufacturing deal it signed with Foxconn in 2015 to start manufacturing the OnePlus X in India. It’s now going to start manufacturing the OnePlus 3T in India as well. The general manager of the company’s Indian operations Vikas Agarwal has confirmed that OnePlus is looking to do this by early next quarter.
The company started selling the OnePlus 3T on Amazon India this week. It says that more than 200,000 registrations for buying the device were received. “We actually probably have lost, I would say, maybe 30 percent of sales because of stock-outs,” Agarwal told Reuters, adding that the company is now focusing on trying its best to meet demand in the country.
Agarwal also mentioned that OnePlus currently has no plans to sell this smartphone through conventional retail outlets and that it’s going to stick with Amazon for now.
Filed in . Read more about OnePlus and OnePlus 3T. Source: reuters