Don't smash anything: OnePlus uses a bad idea to give away 100 phones

Upstart OnePlus is giving away 100 of its new "One" smartphones which came out from under wraps this week for those willing to smash a current high-end smartphone.

This is a bad idea. You should not do it. Please do not smash your phone especially not yet.

So here's the deal. You'll initially be registering for a chance to smash your phone. If you've already smashed it, you're SOL. Sorry, Charlie. OnePlus will randomly pick 100 folks to smash phones on camera. In exchange they'll get a free 16GB One, plus three invites to purchase more.

There are a couple more catches:

First, you have to be in one of the following countries: Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kon SAR China, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, United Kingdom or the United States. Don't live there? You're SOL.

Next, you'll have to have one of the applicable phones. They include the iPhone 5, 5c and 5s, BlackBerry Z10, or Z30; HTC One M8, One M7 and One Max, LG G Flex, G2, G Pro 2 or Nexus 5, Motorola Moto X, Nokia Lumia 1020, 1520, 920 or 925; a Samsung Galaxy Note 2 or Note 3; or a Galaxy S3, S4 or S5; or a Sony Xperia Z, Z2, Z Ultra, Z1. Already smash a perfectly good something else? You're SOL.

That's not even what makes this a bad idea. Dumb promotional stunts are fine. That's what the Internet is for. But this is just wasteful, plain and simple, to say nothing of it being dangerous. And remember, "OnePlus is not liable for any damage or injury incurred to the smasher, surrounding persons or any equipment used during the shooting of each smash video."

Smashing a perfectly good anything is stupid and wasteful.

What you should do instead

Anything, really. Here are but a few suggestions:

• Keep it as a backup. (Duh.)
• Give it to someone else. (Also, duh.)
• Hang onto your phone and make a perfectly good mp3 player out of it.
• If you've got a high-end device, chances are you can take advantage of HTC's Power to Give program, wherein you just leave it plugged in and let projects borrow the processing power.
• Trade it in to any of a number of places.
• Donate to Cell Phones for Soldiers. (Thanks, Russell and Chris, for that idea.)
• Or to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence.
• Or to Secure the Call.
• Or to anyone or anything else.

Just, please. Don't smash it.

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