The OnePlus 2 is still fresh in our minds and hasn’t even launched to consumers yet, but that hasn’t stopped OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei to hint that another device will arrive by the end of 2015.
In an interview with USA Today, Pei hinted that OnePlus has a second phone that it plans to release “before the end of the year.” Pei wouldn’t reveal any details of the device, saying that it “may or may not be” more highly-specced than the OnePlus 2, but he did say that it’s tough for him to choose one of the two phones as his daily driver.
Pei also touched a bit on the possibility that OnePlus might branch out beyond phones. He revealed that OnePlus almost released a fitness tracker but ultimately decided against it because “that is exactly against our open culture.” Pei went on to say that OnePlus won’t release products like TVs or smart scales because they think that brands should focus.
Finally, Pei was asked why NFC was left out of the OnePlus 2, and he said that the entire matter is “overblown.” Pei says that there are “very few” people using NFC and so OnePlus cut it out of the 2. But what about Android Pay, you ask? That’s in the future, Pei says, and by the time that NFC gains widespread adoption “12-18 months from now,” a lot of folks will have moved on to their next phone.
The OnePlus 2 offers a lot of high-end features for its low price tag, including up to 4GB of RAM and a Snapdragon 810 processor. The phone also lacks some of the features found in its flagship competition, though, like NFC, wireless charging, quick charging, and a microSD card slot. Those missing features are likely going to turn some folks off, but because the “affordable flagship” category has been exploding lately with devices like the Alcatel OneTouch Idol 3, Moto X Style/Pure Edition, and ZTE Axon Pro, you can get a phone that does have the features you want for around the same price as the OnePlus 2.