You'll need an invite to purchase a OnePlus One at launch

Pick up your invite from contests, forums and friends who already bought the phone

In the true spirit of riding the hype train, OnePlus has announced that you'll need an invite to buy its flagship OnePlus One phone when it launches. Taking to a forum post to explain, OnePlus says that an invite-only system dubbed the "OnePlus Invite System" is the best way to bridge the gap between supply and demand right at launch.

Rather than do a more standard reservation or pre-order system for the limited number of devices, OnePlus will offer up invites to purchase the phone via its forums, contests and from other OnePlus One buyers. The thinking is that there will only be invites made available for precisely the number of phones that are made and ready to be purchased though it seems a bit exclusionary to make people go looking for an invite rather than having a simple online store where you can place an order and be backordered if no stock is readily available.

OnePlus isn't offering up any invites right now, and says that more information on how the initial wave of invitations will roll out when the phone is finally launched. As time goes on, the invites to purchase a OnePlus One will be easier to obtain until presumably at some point you'll be able to just buy one like every other phone.

Source: OnePlus

Via: You'll need an invite to purchase a OnePlus One at launch