OnePlus X arrives on Ola

The OnePlus and Ola partnership that gives users an opportunity to buy the latest smartphone OnePlus X on-demand and straight from the Ola app will be live only today.

Technology start-up OnePlus, along with Ola, the mobile app for personal transportation, has announced a partnership which gives users the opportunity to buy the latest smartphone OnePlus X, on-demand, straight from the Ola app.

It is claimed to be the first-ever instance in India where consumers can purchase a smartphone without an invite, for a day, and have it delivered at their doorstep within 15 minutes of placing the order.

The partnership will go live on the Ola mobile app only today, across seven cities in India, namely, Delhi/NCR, Mumbai, Pune, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kolkata, and Ahmedabad. People who intend to purchase the OnePlus X can request the handset, just like they would book a cab, by clicking on the 'OnePlus X' category icon that will be available on the app between 10:00 AM and 7:00 PM. Once the request is received, an Ola cab will arrive at the customer's location, along with a representative from OnePlus, and of course, the smartphone.

Customers will be given the choice to pay for their OnePlus X handsets either through cash (Cash On Delivery), or through credit/debit cards.

Sudarshan Gangrade, vice-president, marketing, Ola, says, "This is a testament to the on-demand nature of the mobility solutions that the Ola platform offers and takes user engagement to an all-new level."

Announcing the initiative, Karan Sarin, head of marketing, India, OnePlus, adds, "The enthusiasm from our fans and consumers around the country to get our newest smartphone, the OnePlus X, has been unprecedented. People love our products and we want to enhance the experience by making it more convenient. In an industry-first partnership with Ola and Amazon.in, we will engage with consumers directly, wherein they can purchase the OnePlus X phone in three easy steps -- book, purchase, delivered -- all from the comfort of their Ola app."

The OnePlus X is also exclusively available on Amazon.in. But, like other OnePlus devices, the OnePlus X will require an invite to purchase from the online platform.

The OnePlus X is the latest offering from OnePlus and marks the company's foray into design-led smartphone category. The handset has been conceptualised to be a design-centric device, and according to company sources, is chic and powerful enough to complement any lifestyle.

Ola (formerly Olacabs) was founded by IIT Bombay alumni Bhavish Aggarwal and Ankit Bhati in January 2011. Using the Ola mobile app, users across 100 plus cities can book from over 2,00,000 vehicles, which includes cabs, auto-rickshaws and Kaali-Peeli taxis in Mumbai.

The app is available on the Windows, Android and the iOS platforms. Ola recently acquired TaxiForSure, which continues to operate as an independent brand.