Chinese smartphone brand OnePlus partners with luxury carmaker McLaren to tap premium handset market

Chinese smartphone maker OnePlus has entered into an exclusive partnership with luxury carmaker McLaren to launch a premium handset that it expects will lift brand awareness and deliver higher profits from big-spending consumers.

The OnePlus 6T McLaren Edition comes with the signature McLaren Papaya Orange colour wrapping around the bottom edge of the device, an even faster-charging unit and 10G of RAM, pushing the retail price of the limited offering to 4,599 yuan (US$668) compared with a starting price of 3,599 yuan for the OnePlus 6T models launched last month.

OnePlus signed the partnership with the British luxury sports car maker as the Chinese company celebrates its 5th anniversary.

“We have been doing a pretty good job as we have been growing continuously over the past few years, which counters the overall declining trend of the entire industry,” OnePlus founder and CEO Pete Lau said during the product launch in Shenzhen on Friday. “About 50 per cent of smartphone brands have disappeared each year over the past five years. It is an exciting industry.”

The partnership comes at a time of further consolidation in the smartphone industry, with major brands increasing their dominance in the market while smaller players are falling by the wayside. Local Chinese brands are trying to figure out new strategies to boost brand image and stimulate sales, such as innovative designs and celebrity endorsements.