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Year of the Goat: 11 Chinese smartphone brands to watch
2014 had been a wonderful year for the ever-competitive Chinese smartphone market. We saw the birth of new brands, the record of world's thinnest phone broken three times, and a couple of companies entering India with great reception (although not without some struggle). So with MWC following right after Chinese New Year, what better way to celebrate both than to look at the top Chinese smartphone brands? Granted, not all of these companies will be on the show floor next week (not Xiaomi or Oppo, for instance), but there's no stopping us from saying "ni hao" to them, anyway.
You can finally buy a OnePlus One with ease
If you've been eyeing the OnePlus One in the months following its debut, but haven't secured an invite to purchase, you're in luck. On Tuesdays, anyone can buy the 16GB Silk White and 64GB Sandstone Black without the previous requirement for 24 hours, starting at 3AM ET (12AM PT, 8AM GMT, 4PM HKT). The so-called flagship killer will set you back $299 (16GB) or $349 (64GB) for a Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor, 3GB RAM, 13-megapixel camera and Cyanogen's 11S OS that's powered by Android. The company has its own software in the works, though, and it's set to reveal that OxygenOS later this week. Of course, the previous invite system can still be used to shop every other day of the week, but at least now there's some hint of normal sales for the popular handset startup.
OnePlus will reveal its 'OxygenOS' February 12th
As Cyanogen moves along a new path (apparently with help from Microsoft) phone maker OnePlus is working on its own flavor of Android, and now it has a name: OxygenOS. Unfortunately, it doesn't have much else beyond promises of going back to the drawing board with software that is "open, customizable, and free of bloat and unnecessary features." That's good to hear though, and matches up with the alpha build seen earlier this month. In classic OnePlus style, the tease just sets up another tease, and we're told more information is coming on February 12th, so mark your calendars.
OnePlus unveils its own Android build without Cyanogen
Following a temporary ban in India, OnePlus has released its own alpha Lollipop ROM for the One based on stock Android 5.0 -- with no Cyanogen influence. For now, the alpha software is only available as a download, and you'll need to wipe your phone in order to get it. It's also very basic and OnePlus said it includes "no extras beyond the stock features of AOSP Lollipop," though it promised to build on it over time. OnePlus started talking about its own Android fork shortly before Cyanogen inked an exclusive deal with Indian smartphone maker Micromax.
OnePlus gets the all-clear to sell phones in India, for now
OnePlus' plans for world conquest hit a roadblock when Micromax had the company's smartphones banned in India. It's reasoning was that they allegedly infringed on its exclusive right to use Cyanogen's custom Android software. However, it looks like the little phone maker that could is getting a reprieve -- Delhi's High Court has lifted the preliminary injunction that kicked OnePlus out of the country. The bench argues that this early ban wasn't necessary, since neither company really "eats into the the territory of the other." That makes sense: Micromax mostly caters to the low end of the market, while OnePlus is further up the ladder.
OnePlus celebrates one year in business with a super-cheap power bank
Exactly one year ago, a little known company by the name of OnePlus arrived on the scene with plans to make "the perfect smartphone." The One certainly lives up to the hype under the hood, but thanks to a flawed invite process, getting your hands on the device hasn't been easy. However, with more than 500,000 units having already made their way into customer hands and a target of one million sales before the end of the year, OnePlus has decided to celebrate a respectable first year in business with the launch of a new product, another open sale and more details on the development of its own Android ROM.
Cyanogen backpedals on promise to update OnePlus phones in India
If you're in India, get ready to be more confused and maybe a bit angry about the OnePlus One situation. Cyanogen recently said that "the OnePlus One will get OTA firmware updates for all global devices, including global devices for our users in India." That was seemingly a denial to OnePlus' claim that it wouldn't get OTA updates there due to Cyanogen's deal with India's MicroMax. However, it turns out that Cyanogen's statement had weasel-wording that only a lawyer could love. It clarified today that OnePlus One smartphones sold in India indeed won't get the update -- only "global devices" purchased abroad. That appears to be the final word: once the Android Lollipop-based ROM is released for the One, no more OTA updates for India buyers until OnePlus builds its own ROM.
Cyanogen says it'll continue support for the OnePlus One in India
Well, it seems like India's OnePlus One users don't have anything to worry about after all. To clear up any misconceptions about the device and CyanogenMod's future in the region, the OS developer took to its blog. Cyanogen's Android ROM will continue to get firmware updates, world-wide, despite the outfit's exclusive partnership with Indian hardware-maker Micromax. As Android Central spotted, the post is pretty explicit about it too, saying: "To clarify misinformation out there, the OnePlus One will get OTA firmware updates for all global devices, including global devices for our users in India." So that's settled. Now, if only it were any easier to actually buy a One in the first place...
OnePlus and Cyanogen on brink of breakup after India fight
Poor OnePlus just can't take a break. Just as the company's busy taking care of its Black Friday promotion, its store opening in Beijing and its India launch with Amazon next week, a close partner decided to drop a hurtful bomb. Cyanogen Inc., the maker of OnePlus One's Android ROM, announced that it's now inked a deal with Micromax to exclusively support the latter's upcoming online brand Yu -- a direct competitor of Xiaomi -- in India. And by "exclusive" we do mean no love for OnePlus, who implies in its latest blog post that Cyanogen knew about its India plan all along, yet it was suddenly shunned to make way for a new partner over there. If true, this is a surprisingly childish move from an up-and-coming company that has no doubt benefitted much from its partnership with OnePlus thus far.
OnePlus' Black Friday deal: you can actually buy the damn phone
OnePlus has just let it be known that you'll finally be able to buy its $299 One phone sans invitation for Black Friday. The "deal" starts today and lasts all weekend, with the 16GB white model up for $299 (€269 in Europe, £229 in the UK) or $349/€299/£269 for the 64GB black model. There are also discounts on other accessories. That marks the first time (other than an hour last month) that folks will be able to buy the now-slightly-dated model without an RSVP. Despite the ridiculous waiting period, though, the 5.5-inch, 1080p device still has plenty of power and charm for its petite price. Hopefully it'll come off invitations for good before the next model comes out.
OnePlus is opening a retail store in China
Still haven't scored an invitation for a OnePlus One, and missed out on the rare public sales? You may want to book a flight to China. OnePlus has revealed its first-ever retail shop, which will officially open in Beijing on December 20th. As you might imagine, the product selection is fairly limited -- it'll offer the One smartphone, of course, but you'll mostly find accessories like cases and headphones. To make up for this, OnePlus is positioning this as an "experience" with a water bar as well as plans for both customer training and get-togethers. More stores are expected to roll out in China, although you shouldn't expect them abroad. OnePlus only just teamed with Amazon to launch Indian online sales, so the company has a long way to go before it can even consider a worldwide retail empire.
OnePlus reveals how many phones it's sold
Ever since OnePlus first unveiled the One, Android fans have been clamoring for the limited invites needed to buy their own. It's been an infuriating wait for many, but it seems the company is slowly starting to meet demand. Co-founder Carl Pei told Forbes that OnePlus has now sold 500,000 smartphones and is aiming for one million by 2015. So why hasn't OnePlus just opened the floodgates already? Well, the company argues that to sell the device at such a low price-point, it can't risk having excess inventory lying around. The company is slowly opening its doors though, after holding a (albeit botched) pre-order window that meant anyone could at least get in line. The firm says it racked up "tens of thousands" of sales and is offering fans a second chance to pre-order on November 17th, assuming they haven't given up already and OnePlus has fixed its problems from last time.
10 reasons to join us at Engadget #ExpandNY!
It's what you've all been waiting for! Engadget Expand is the place this week. We're taking over the Javits Center in Manhattan on November 7th and 8th. We're pretty damn excited for what's on tap this year, and we think you should be too. But, in case you need convincing read on for 10 reasons to get pumped.
Engadget Expand is all about you. And us. But really, you.
Engadget Expand is our annual event that's all about you -- our fans. It's not your typical tech conference that's priced for people fortunate to have an expense account. We make the event completely FREE thanks to our generous sponsors, giving you the chance to experience the future -- right now. And while you're at it, you get to meet your favorite Engadget editors. When you join us at the Javits Center North in New York City next week on November 7-8, you'll be set loose on our show floor. You can check out some of our exhibitors and get your hands on gadgets that people can't buy yet (or in some cases, build your own in our workshops), head to our Expand stage and hear from some smart and inspiring people and so much more.
IRL: The OnePlus One is everything my iPhone wasn't
After last month's iPhone event, I was disappointed -- I realized the iPhone 6 and its "Plus" sibling were still catching up to Android in a lot of ways. Regardless, the devoted iPhone fan in me still pre-ordered an iPhone 6 a few days later, in the wee hours of September 12th. The next morning, I awoke to the alarm on my iPhone 5s and went to silence it, only to discover a small spot of water damage had worsened overnight, rendering the phone unusable. With less than 24 hours before jetting off on a work trip, I had no choice but to force myself into using another phone sitting on my desk: the OnePlus One. Now, you might be thinking that this was unusually convenient. The truth is, I decided to get a second phone a couple of weeks earlier and wanted one of the unlocked Android variety. Might as well ensure it's a good phone too, so with an Engadget score of 90, the One made sense.
What's up with Engadget Expand?
We're just two weeks away from our free Engadget Expand event, taking place at New York City's Javits Center on November 7th and 8th and there's still so much to tell you about. If you can't join us in person, don't worry -- we'll keep you updated throughout the weekend with dispatches from the show floor and our livestream here on Engadget.
Engadget and JetBlue will beam you to Expand!
We're sending one lucky Engadget reader (and a guest of choice) to Engadget Expand in New York City on November 7-8, thanks to our friends at JetBlue Airways and our sponsors. What's more, if you're one of the 10 runners-up, Suitable Technologies will give you a block of time to mosey around the Expand floor remotely with its BeamPro device.
Here's every device getting Android 5.0 Lollipop so far
If you're a die-hard Android fan, you're probably champing at the bit waiting for that Lollipop upgrade -- when will you get it? Are you going to get it? Thankfully for you, a number of companies have already promised to upgrade some of their devices to this candy-flavored OS. Google's Nexus 4, 5, 7 and 10 models are naturally first in line, as are Android One and Google Play Edition hardware; its outgoing Motorola brand is equally on top of things with plans to patch the Moto E, G and X alongside Verizon's Droid Mini, Maxx and Ultra. HTC and OnePlus don't have full details, but they're both pledging to give their recent flagships a taste of Lollipop within 90 days of receiving finished code. NVIDIA and Sony, meanwhile, are being a bit vague. While they're respectively teasing plans to update the Shield Tablet and the Xperia Z series, they won't say exactly when just yet; Sony has committed to the "beginning of 2015" for Z2 and Z3 models.
Here's what you need to know about Engadget Expand, so far
We've talked a lot about Engadget Expand so far (you know, that free event we're holding at the Javits Center in NYC on November 7th and 8th). It's time we got you caught up on who's speaking (and when), who's exhibiting on the show floor, what's up with Insert Coin and finally, the winner of our 'In The City' sweepstakes. Let's get started.
More to expect at our free Engadget Expand event in NYC!
If you're keeping score, we've announced a bunch of great speakers heading to this year's Engadget Expand (such as RJD2 and the head of DARPA, Arati Prabhakar). Of course there's plenty more where that came from and we're excited to announce what else you'll see at the Javits Center on November 7-8 in New York City!
