How to get a OnePlus 2 invitation

When the OnePlus One came out last year, buying one was a tricky process. One could either try to get their hands on an invitation, which allowed them to purchase a OnePlus One within a short time frame, or find a retailer that had the phone in stock, albeit at higher-than-official price. Indeed, the invitation system was dropped eventually, but by that time, the hype around the phone had pretty much evaporated. 

Like it or not, OnePlus is sticking to its invitation-based sales model for the OnePlus 2. In other words, only those who have an invitation will be allowed to purchase the hyped smartphone on August 11th, when it is scheduled to go on sale. How do you get a OnePlus 2 invitation? Well, that's what we're here to clarify for you. 

The good news is that OnePlus has a reservation list on its web page, and anyone can sign up for a OnePlus 2 invitation by leaving their email address. The bad news is that there are over 400,000 people currently on the list (as of this writing), and the number is growing steadily. Of course, it won't hurt to sign up anyway. All invitations that are sent out but not used within their expiration period will be forwarded to those who are on the waiting list. 

But even if you sign up right away, it is not easy to estimate how long it will take until your invitation arrives. With all the people already in line, it could take weeks before you're finally given the chance to purchase a OnePlus 2. That's why our advice is to brace yourself with patience. Also, you better have your credit card ready to use and OnePlus account set up in advance. Once you get your invitation, you'll have only 24 hours to use it, regardless of whether you read your notification email or not.

While the said waiting list is scarily long, there is a way you can cut the line. That is done by spreading the word. Once you sign up and confirm your email address, you'll be given a referral link which you can share with friends and family in any way imaginable. You'll be bumped up in the queue for every person who signs up via your link. But on the downside, you can (and likely will) fall behind in line if those behind you get more referrals. (I've fallen behind more than 300 places since signing up a couple of hours ago.)

Everyone who purchases a OnePlus 2 will be also given invitations to share with friends, family members, or random strangers on the internet. These invitations don't come right away after ordering the phone, but they do arrive eventually. The OnePlus 2 will go on sale on August 11. If a friend of yours somehow manages to purchase one, kindly ask them for an invitation when they get one. Candy might help. 

Speaking of asking for an invitation, keeping an eye on the OnePlus forums would be a good idea. Joining the online community would increase your chances of getting in touch with someone who has invitations to share. The forums are also a place where you'll learn about OnePlus' contests and promotions. Participating in these is another way of scoring an invitation. 

Speaking of contests and promotions, these are announced via social media channels, so subscribing to those would be wise. OnePlus has active official accounts on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. Or if you'd rather receive your updates via email, you may subscribe to the OnePlus newsletter. Good luck!