UPDATE: As of April 20, 2015 an invite is no longer needed to buy the OnePlus One:
https://blog.oneplus.net/2015/04/open-sales-for-the-oneplus-one-forever/
Below is the original info on their update system.
On the OnePlus forum they have released some info about when and how you will be able to get invites to buy the phone. The entire post is here, and below are some highlights:
Update (May 9, 2014): There are a few commonly asked questions regarding the invite system that I can help clear up:
How do I get an invite?
The main method of getting invites will be through others. In the beginning, when not a lot of other people have the device, you'll be able to get invites through contest and raffles. We have planned ways so our early fans, as well as people who weren't here from the beginning will be able to obtain invites.
When do the next batch of invites roll out?
The first real batch of invites roll out late May, and will be of the 64GB Sandstone Black version. Any invites that you might have been promised before this, will be sent during this time.
How long are invites valid for?
For invites that you receive, they are typically valid for 24 hours. If they expire, they get returned to sender so someone else can get a chance to buy it. Alternatively, you can ask for the sender to resend it to you. For invites that you can give away, they are usually valid for longer, usually 1-2 weeks.
How many invites can I give away?
This varies. In the beginning, the quantities will be smaller, but increased as time goes by. You will frequently receive new invites to give away as production ramps up.
When do I receive invites to give away?
You do not automatically receive invites when you purchase a phone. We will need to manually roll them out according to our operations situation.​
Update: We have received some great feedback over the past few hours, and understand that not everyone likes to hang out on online forums. I want to clarify that both those who have supported us from the beginning on the forums, and those who have been interested but not registered on the forums will have ways to get invites.
Update: Some have voiced concerns about there being a second market for invites. The Invite System was designed to counter this from the start, with us having full control over distribution and expiry times. The re-sale of invites will not be a major issue.
Update:
On the OnePlus One forums they announced invites will be given to some long time forum posters, and those invites will last for 24 hours. Their system will automatically allocate invites based on these three parameters:
https://blog.oneplus.net/2015/04/open-sales-for-the-oneplus-one-forever/
Below is the original info on their update system.
On the OnePlus forum they have released some info about when and how you will be able to get invites to buy the phone. The entire post is here, and below are some highlights:
Update (May 9, 2014): There are a few commonly asked questions regarding the invite system that I can help clear up:
How do I get an invite?
The main method of getting invites will be through others. In the beginning, when not a lot of other people have the device, you'll be able to get invites through contest and raffles. We have planned ways so our early fans, as well as people who weren't here from the beginning will be able to obtain invites.
When do the next batch of invites roll out?
The first real batch of invites roll out late May, and will be of the 64GB Sandstone Black version. Any invites that you might have been promised before this, will be sent during this time.
How long are invites valid for?
For invites that you receive, they are typically valid for 24 hours. If they expire, they get returned to sender so someone else can get a chance to buy it. Alternatively, you can ask for the sender to resend it to you. For invites that you can give away, they are usually valid for longer, usually 1-2 weeks.
How many invites can I give away?
This varies. In the beginning, the quantities will be smaller, but increased as time goes by. You will frequently receive new invites to give away as production ramps up.
When do I receive invites to give away?
You do not automatically receive invites when you purchase a phone. We will need to manually roll them out according to our operations situation.​
Update: We have received some great feedback over the past few hours, and understand that not everyone likes to hang out on online forums. I want to clarify that both those who have supported us from the beginning on the forums, and those who have been interested but not registered on the forums will have ways to get invites.
Update: Some have voiced concerns about there being a second market for invites. The Invite System was designed to counter this from the start, with us having full control over distribution and expiry times. The re-sale of invites will not be a major issue.
Update:
On the OnePlus One forums they announced invites will be given to some long time forum posters, and those invites will last for 24 hours. Their system will automatically allocate invites based on these three parameters:
- Your forum age - the earlier you joined our forums, the higher you will be ranked
- Your participation - you must have a minimum amount of posts (it's less than what you think!)
- Recent activity - we want our members to still be with us!