Carl Pei on the new beginnings of OnePlus with OnePlus Nord

OnePlus’s recent strategy has focused on the mid-tier and premium segments, but the manufacturer is set to unveil an affordable phone in the coming weeks. Dubbed OnePlus Nord, the phone will feature exciting hardware, and if a previous teaser is an indication, it can start at just $ 299.

The avalanche of advancements in the past two weeks has sparked interest on the phone, and OnePlus is taking a different approach for the launch of its next device, the OnePlus Nord. In place of the usual teasers on Twitter, the company created a new Instagram account called OnePlusLiteZThing, a clear reference to the first leaks, and is set to launch a four-part documentary series that will give OnePlus fans a look behind. of scene In the development of the telephone.

The first part of the documentary, called New Beginnings, is now live on Instagram, and OnePlus used this platform to officially reveal the name of the Nord product line. Before its debut, I had a spontaneous conversation with OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei and OnePlus France Vice President Akis Evangelidis to learn about OnePlus’ plans with the docuseries and what the brand is doing differently with Nord.

Evangelidis said the docuseries aims to engage the community, and like the company’s pop-up windows to get early feedback on its latest products, it offers a way for the brand to connect directly with its fans:

With this documentary, we wanted to give everyone a closer look at how we are one of our products on the market so that they can witness everything from within. Traditional marketing doesn’t allow customers to experience a phone before it is announced, so this time we wanted our fans to feel like they are part of the development process.

The documentary will be the backbone of the entire pre-launch; With each new part, we will post information about the next product.

It is this drive to engage the community that sets OnePlus apart in the smartphone industry. Evangelidis spoke about how OnePlus toured Europe after the launch of OnePlus 3 to give fans in 13 different cities across the continent a first look at the phone, and how the company hosts mass launch events in countries like India with thousands of fans so they can see the phone before anyone else. Because all of this is not possible during these times of social distancing, OnePlus is turning to a docuseries to involve its community.

Pei chimed in on how the smartphone industry has changed in the past six years and how users these days are more involved with brands. Growing up as a tech enthusiast, Pei was never able to approach any of the consumer tech companies he followed, and had to turn to online forums and message boards to discuss his favorite products. He said that one of the main reasons for presenting the documentary project was to make the community feel closer to OnePlus:

When we started this product line, we saw how the world is changing. Six years have passed since we launched our first phone, and things are not the same as in 2014. One of the key things now is that people want the truth, they want things that are real. They are not interested in large stock companies that are inaccessible. They want to know how the sausage is made; They want to go behind the scenes and be closer than ever.

In a way, the documentary series is to please my inner child. This is our way of letting a new generation of tech enthusiasts really get closer to a business and see how something real is done.

OnePlus’ move to the affordable segment comes at a crucial time for the industry. With the economic downturn caused by the coronavirus, people are increasingly looking for affordable options when picking up a new phone:

In recent years, we have made better and better flagship phones. But we’ve also heard that a section of our community calls for a more affordable product line.

The consumers we’ve been targeting for the past few years want the best products available, but there’s also another part of the market that wants something great at a more affordable price. For us, that is a new beginning.

When it comes to phone development, OnePlus generally takes nine to 12 months to find a new product. This time, Pei said the team spent more time on the strategy to consider how the next phone would fit into the affordable segment:

When you embark on a new journey, you need to make sure you’re on the right track. So even if you hurry up and find out later that you’ve been on the wrong path, you should return to the starting point. So when we’re doing something new, it makes sense to sit back and think a little bit more about what exactly we want to do.

As for finding the right path, Pei said it has everything to do with experience:

We’ve worked head-on on our flagship line for the past few years, so when we do something new, we have to think about how the world looks beyond our own category. Therefore, we request a large amount of information, and once we have enough information, we begin to debate and analyze that information to a point where we feel we have something solid.

How do we know when we have something solid? It comes from a feeling based on experience; when you know you have something ready to use.

One of the interesting points Pei made was the visual identity of OnePlus. Because the Nord is aimed at a different subset of the community, it needs to have its own identity that differs from the brand’s flagship devices:

Now that we are creating a new product line with a different target consumer, we need to differentiate between the previous model and this one. It is a balance, because we must make people understand that it is a OnePlus product, and that it has all the associated adornments, but also make them understand that it is a little different so that they can immediately associate that it is a new product. product line.

Everything from packaging to website, advertising, and community events define our visual identity. The appearance of our Instagram account with OnePlusLiteZThing is the beginning of a slightly different visual identity.

OnePlus essentially seeks to differentiate the Nord product line by giving it a different visual identity. Based on what we’ve seen so far, that includes a different logo color, changing from red to teal, and advertising targeting younger audiences.

To that end, Evangelidis said OnePlus will engage with the community a little differently for the Nord series, and that the brand has a “world first” in this area. Interestingly, Pei revealed that the docuseries have yet to finish filming, and that there is an opportunity for members of the OnePlus community to appear in later episodes.

OnePlus knows how to generate anticipation for an upcoming product: the brand has done a masterful job in this area over the years. With the move to the affordable segment and the imminent arrival of the first phone in a new Nord product line, the expectation of what OnePlus will offer has never been greater. There is no pressure then.