One of the most exciting Android handsets of the year will be unveiled in less than a month from now
, promising a smartphone revolution… or at least that’s what CyanogenMod’s boss Steve Kondik expects. CyanogenMod will be the official operating system of the OnePlus One smartphone, a choice the company made even before “hardware was even planned or engineering units were produced.”
In a post on Google+, Kondik said that OnePlus will focus on the needs of the consumer, just like CyanogenMod does with its Android customizations, in order to offer them a better experience than other device makers, who may have forgotten the user in their attempts to sell more and more devices.
“Most hardware vendors have lost sight of the user piece,” Kondik wrote. “Money is spent piling in new specs, features, and silly ads but it seems like no one takes that step back to say ‘is this useful for the people buying it?'”
He further added that the OnePlus team understands the user’s needs, which is why it has been continuously looking for feedback on its forum from potential buyers when it comes to what kind of hardware features the One should have to offer.
“By focusing their efforts to online marketing only, they can pass on savings to the users,” Kondik wrote. “The build quality and design of the devices we have been working with are what you would expect from a premium phone. A top of the line phone with 90% of what most people want in a phone for a reasonable price, this should be the model OEMs follow. I’m glad to say that we are involved in that revolution.”
CyanogenMod will be the default Android-based operating system on the OnePlus One, and will be supported for two years, according to previous statements from the young software company. However, users will be able to install any Android OS version they choose to, without voiding the warranty of the handset. Furthermore, OnePlus has already shared many specs for the device, revealing that pricing will start at less than $400 for the handset.