OnePlus 2 Virtual Reality Launch: Just More Hype?(Updated)

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When the video first starts, you're greeted by Carl Pie, one of OnePlus's co-founders. He's standing in the lobby at OnePlus headquarters. The camera is positioned to make it feel like you are there with him, and it allows you to pan your head in any direction to get a full 360-degree view of the surroundings. After a brief introduction, he begins to walk through the office as you follow along. The office was filled with busy employees as "you" and Carl tour the facility.

While wandering through the halls, he remarks that as children we dream that "If I was in charge, I would do it better" and notes that to a child, a blanket can turn you into a superhero. Carl goes on to say, "We've done a lot of crazy things, because no one told us we couldn't." To him, this launch is for the fans. The OnePlus community has been around since before there was a product to sell, and the company loves to show its appreciation of those people.

After a brief walk down the hallways, the video transitions to a different room. Here you're seated in a group with four other people. Three of these people are OnePlus fans who were chosen to spend a week with OnePlus trying out the new phone. They talk about the features they like the most, and their experience with the phone. Carl walks in a moment after the discussion starts and proceeds to ask a few questions. It felt like being part of the conversation, even though I wasn't contributing.

In the next scene, Carl finally talks about the features of the phone and demonstrates some of them. He shows the reversible USB Type-C plug, as well as the patented reversible Type-A plug, in action. He gives a brief demonstration of the ringtone slider and a scripted example of why you'd need it (the employee sitting next to him receives a call while Carl was speaking to the camera). Two more employees then show how quickly the faceplates can be replaced.

Throughout the product demonstration, as well as the feature reveal that followed, the company made use of augmented reality-type pop-up bubbles that would show information and graphics. The names of people speaking hovered over them for a few seconds to help identify everyone. It made the experience feel a lot more futuristic. Had it just been a 360-degree camera and nothing else, it wouldn't have been so interesting to watch.

OnePlus really enjoys involving the community, and it appreciates those who participate even more. As a reward for the earliest supporters of the company, invites to purchase a OnePlus 2 have already started to trickle out, and some were even given during the event. The keen observer probably noticed the URLs scattered around the office during the video. To my knowledge, these were first come/first serve invites for the phone. If you try one now, you'll get this message:

OnePlus 2 showed the world that a product can indeed be launched with a VR event. It's a refreshing take on how to interact with fans and customers. I can't wait to see who comes out with the next one, but what I really want to know is, when can I experience a product launch like this that allows me to walk around, not just follow along on rails. This event with an HTC Vive, for example, would be mind-blowing.

Kevin Carbotte is a contributing writer for Tom's Hardware who primarily covers VR and AR hardware. He has been writing for us for more than four years.