OnePlus 6 India Price Leak Suggests the Upwards Trend Will Continue in 2018

OnePlus 6 India price details got leaked this week, ahead of the smartphone's much-anticipated launch that is scheduled later this month. The Chinese manufacturer will take the wraps off the flagship killer at an event in London on May 16 and then in India on May 17. As per latest reports, the OnePlus 6 price in India is Rs. 36,999 for the 64GB storage variant, while the 128GB variant will cost Rs. 39,999. The company has also confirmed that a 256GB model will be arriving, though there is no clarity on its price. When it comes to OnePlus 6 and its specifications, most of the key details have been confirmed by the company and they suggest a decent upgrade over the OnePlus 5T.

Pushing out handsets at a rapid pace, OnePlus has launched two smartphones every year since 2016. The OnePlus 6 will be the fifth smartphone in the same amount of time. Since the launch of OnePlus One in 2014, the company has indeed improved upon previous generation flagship handsets in significant ways, but this has also translated to rising prices in each generation. It is quite possible that OnePlus will soon shed the 'value buy' tag and stand alongside the Google Pixel lineup or the Galaxy S series. Because, from being a 'flagship killer' to handsets competing in both specifications and price with premium smartphones, OnePlus is clearly following an upward trend. Here is a look at the OnePlus pricing history.

When OnePlus launched the OnePlus One four years ago, it was available at a starting price of $299 (roughly Rs. 18,300) for the 16GB inbuilt storage model, while the 64GB variant was priced at $349 (roughly Rs. 21,350). In India, the smartphone was launched with a price tag of Rs. 18,999 for the 16GB variant, and Rs. 21,999 for the 64GB variant.

The startup Chinese smartphone maker made quite a name for itself with its first device. It then launched the OnePlus 2 in India, China, the US, Canada, and select EU regions in 2015. The 64GB OnePlus 2 was priced in India at Rs. 24,999 - a Rs. 3,000 hike. Next year, the company also launched a 16GB model of the OnePlus 2 in India, priced at Rs. 22,999, a Rs. 4,000 hike over the 16GB OnePlus One. In the US, the company had priced the OnePlus 2 at $329 and $389 for the 16GB and 64GB variants respectively, corresponding to $30 and $40 dollar hikes.

Coming to the OnePlus 3, the company had launched the handset in 2016 priced at $399 (roughly Rs. 26,800) in the US. In India, the smartphone was made available at Rs. 27,999 for its 64GB variant - a Rs. 3,000 price hike. The same year, OnePlus launched the OnePlus 3T smartphone with a faster processor and better camera. It was priced at GBP 399 (roughly Rs. 33,700) or EUR 439 (roughly Rs. 31,200) for the 64GB variant. In India, the smartphone was priced at Rs. 29,999 for the 64GB inbuilt storage model, and Rs. 34,999 for the 128GB storage model, making it the most expensive OnePlus device until then.

With the OnePlus 5 launch in 2017, the company raised the prices even higher. The OnePlus 5 price in India was set at Rs. 32,999 for the 6GB RAM, 64GB storage variant - a Rs. 3,000 hike, while those who wanted to purchase the model with 8GB RAM, 128GB storage had to shell out Rs. 37,999 - a Rs. 3,000 hike. The OnePlus 5 prices were slightly pricier than in the US, but cheaper than in Europe.

Last year, OnePlus launched an upgraded version of OnePlus 5 - the OnePlus 5T. At launch, the OnePlus 5T 6GB RAM variant was priced at $499 (roughly Rs. 32,600), while the 8GB RAM/ 128GB storage variant cost $559 (roughly Rs. 36,500). Then, in India, the OnePlus 5T arrived with a price tag of Rs. 32,999 for the 6GB RAM variant, and it went up to Rs. 37,999 for the 8GB RAM variant - the first time it maintained the same prices, albeit, within a cycle. OnePlus also launched a special OnePlus 5T Star Wars Limited Edition in the country, priced at Rs. 38,999.

Now, with rumours of the OnePlus 6 64GB starting at Rs. 36,999 (a Rs. 4,000 hike if true) and going up to Rs. 39,999 for the 128GB variant (a Rs. 2,000 hike if true), it's clear OnePlus has been raising prices with each year's flagship offerings.

In terms of pricing as well as specifications, these smartphones have come a long way in the last four years. Based on reports and rumours around OnePlus 6, the upcoming smartphone does promise some hearty upgrades that seem quite worth the alleged price tag. OnePlus has always stood out the kind of specifications it has been offering for the price. The new smartphone is said to come with the notch, the latest Snapdragon 845 processor, dust and water resistance, Super Slo Mo feature for video recording, and sport a new design with a glass back. But, snagging the new handset clearly won't be cheap, as it may cost more than all the company's previous smartphones.

Is OnePlus 6 an iPhone X killer at half the price? We discussed this on Orbital, our weekly technology podcast, which you can subscribe to via Apple Podcasts or RSS, download the episode, or just hit the play button below.