OnePlus phones have only been available for purchase direct from OnePlus in the U.S., but that may be changing soon.
OnePlus CEO Pete Lau has said that his company is currently working with U.S. carriers. He didn't give any specific names in his interview with PCMag, but he did explain that selling through carriers is important because it lets consumers spend some hands-on time with a device before they buy it.
Lau also assuaged worries that selling OnePlus phones through a carrier might mean added bloatware. He said that having a "burdenless" device that focuses on speed and on being bloatware-free is important.
Most U.S. consumers still buy their phone through their carrier, so selling its devices through U.S. carriers could be a big deal for OnePlus. It's clear that OnePlus has been doing well enough with online sales, as we've seen several OnePlus devices launched over the years, but selling devices through U.S. carriers could expose OnePlus to many more consumers and help make the company even bigger.
Lau went on to tease that OnePlus wants to launch a 5G smartphone next year. Details on OnePlus's plans are light, but some U.S. carriers are planning to have 5G coverage available in 2019, and so some early adopters will be looking for a 5G-capable device to get on those networks. That could be another good opportunity for OnePlus.
