OnePlus Plans Another VR Launch for New Phone

Once you go viral, you never go back: OnePlus today announced plans to unveil its next-gen smartphone in VR—again.

Consumers last summer were invited to strap on a virtual reality headset (like theOnePlus Cardboard) to stream the July launch of the OnePlus 2$335.00 at Amazon. This year, the phone maker is handing out 30,000 of its own Loop VR headsets (more Samsung Gear VR than Google Cardboard) for free.

“Forget cardboard,” OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei wrote in a blog post. “This year we’re excited to bring you the OnePlus Loop VR headset—for a more robust, immersive, and comfortable experience.”

It appears that OnePlus fans have already snapped up the free Loop VR devices; the OnePlus website lists them as out of stock. You can view the OnePlus 3 launch and buy the phone on a variety of VR headsets, though.

When that happens remains unclear; Pei did not reveal an exact launch date.

“We believe we, and the tech industry as a whole, have only scratched the surface of what can be done in VR, and there’s much more immersive experiences to be had,” Pei said.

OnePlus in December dropped its invitation-only system for the OnePlus 2, allowing anyone to purchase the 5.5-inch smartphone. Released in August, the gadget is powered by the OxygenOS (based on Android 5.1) and features a 1080p HD display, with customizable navigation keys that dim and disappear when not in use. It also boasts a fingerprint sensor to quickly and securely unlock the phone.