Imagine you could build your own Android phone from scratch, with the ability to bend a Chinese manufacturing colossus to your whims. What would you make? That is more or less the story of OnePlus, the Chinese company founded in 2013 to produce premium smartphones. But don’t call it a startup: OnePlus is a subsidiary of BBK Electronics, the world’s second-largest smartphone manufacturer (it also owns Oppo and Vivo.

The latest in-depth coverage covering the intersection of technology and culture. WIRED’s award-winning journalism will help you make sense of a world in constant transformation. Join us as we explore the ways technology is changing our lives.

Advertisement