OnePlus One smartphone gets a permanent $50 price cut ahead of its successor’s launch

China-based smartphone maker OnePlus has scythed $50 off its already cheap flagship smartphone, as the company readies the launch of its much-anticipated successor in the coming months.

OnePlus has garnered a lot of attention over the past 18 months for the One, a low-price, high-spec Android device that has thus far cost $299/$349 for the 16GB/64GB versions respectively. However, the handset hasn’t always been easy to buy, given that OnePlus has mostly used an invite-only system — a system it finally ditched back in April. At the time, this suggested OnePlus was taking its first tentative steps towards unveiling its second phone.

Indeed, OnePlus revealed last year that the One’s successor would likely launch in Q2 or Q3 2015, so when the company recently revealed there would be some big news coming on June 1, it led many to believe it would be the OnePlus Two.

We’re always looking for ways to shake up the tech industry. And we think it’s time for change. Find out more June 1. pic.twitter.com/odrsSko6dB

— OnePlus (@oneplus) May 26, 2015

However, as things transpired, the news was a little less exciting — it was merely introducing a $50 7-day price cut. But now, the company is making this permanent, with OnePlus citing a more “efficient level of operation” as the core driving force behind the move. That may well be true, but the company will likely have inventory to shift ahead of the imminent launch of the OnePlus Two, so by knocking fifty bucks off the price tag, this could sway some consumers.

OnePlus has also been revealing more partnerships of late, including its first ever carrier tie-up, which saw the One arrive in-store for the first time. With that in mind, OnePlus has also announced a deal with Dropbox that offers users a Dropbox Pro subscription and a 64GB OnePlus One for $349, which is effectively a savings of $50 for anyone already considering upgrading their free Dropbox account.