The OnePlus 4 is gearing up for a unique place in the smartphone game, which is to be the first budget device that can "kill" the Apple iPhone and the Samsung Galaxy series without killing the budget. However, is this really possible for a smaller brand? Can an alternative really do better than the big smartphone manufacturers?
Although the OnePlus 4 has a chance to best the big names, it also has a bigger chance of failing in its mission. There are three reasons why the OnePlus 4 could possibly fail in the market, but it's certainly not for a lack of trying.
There are three different reasons theorized as to why the OnePlus 4 may fail in its attempt to unseat the iPhone and the Galaxy. The two main reasons they state have to do with the OnePlus's relatively smaller reputation and credibility in the market, thanks to its short time spent so far. Although the company can definitely produce a phone that could match the two biggest names, the fact of the matter is OnePlus is just not a big enough name to make an impact. Building the brand's credibility up organically is an option, but it will take a while to get to a point where consumers can trust it over Apple or Samsung.
Another issue with regard to the OnePlus 4's reputation is that OnePlus has to make sure there are no hitches with the phone. The OnePlus One, OnePlus 2, and OnePlus 3 all suffered issues with their releases involving delays and errors that damaged their hype. OnePlus had to apologize for these, reports Android Central and Baseline magazine, and that's not a good look for a brand trying to gain market share.
The last thing OnePlus needs to make sure is that the OnePlus 4 has to beat not only the iPhone 7 and the Galaxy S7. It also has to beat the iPhone 8, Galaxy S8, and the Note 8 that will come out next year. In order for it to kill the two biggest brands in the game, it has to futureproof itself as well. Without knowing what Apple and Samsung have in store for their next models, it's going to be hard to still choose a OnePlus 4 after the iPhone 8 and Galaxy S8 come out.
The OnePlus 4 is scheduled to come out next year, but there's no clear target date for its release. All that's known about the upcoming flagship phone are rumored specs.
