Want a OnePlus One? Make Sure It's Tuesday

Smartphone maker OnePlus has never made it easy to get your hands on its device, and that trend continues with plans for weekly 24-hour sales.

The company today announced weekly open sales, which will allow buyers to pick up the smartphone without an invite.

"We believe that great things should be shared," OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei wrote in a blog post. "Thus, it's been our goal from the beginning to put our products into the hands of as many people as possible."

So, every Tuesday, starting at 8 a.m. GMT (3 a.m. EST), the 16GB Silk White or 64GB Sandstone Black OnePlus One will go on sale to everyone—for 24 hours.

"This doesn't mean that our beloved invite system is going away, and it will continue to be the standard method of purchasing the One during the remaining [six] days of the week," Pei said. "And, you will still receive invites to share with friends whenever you buy a One, even on Tuesdays."

The OnePlus One boasts specs similar to the Samsung Galaxy S5—5.5-inch screen, 2.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor, 3GB of RAM, and a 3100mAh battery—but the One comes unlocked and for only $299.

PCMag gave the One a glowing review and an Editors' Choice, which we later had to pull because any phone we recommend must be available for actual purchase in the U.S. But because OnePlus makes so little money on each phone, it doesn't want to make more than it can sell. And it takes three months to request changes in volume from the company's screen manufacturer.

As a result, prospective buyers have had to wait for an illusive invite or the occasional flash sale, like the one on Oct. 27 that lasted only an hour.

"As a young tech startup, we're constantly experimenting, iterating, and improving," Pei said. "Thank you for sharing your thoughts and coming with us on this journey. We wouldn't be where we are without you, and you are all as much a part of OnePlus as we are."

Despite the supply issues, OnePlus is prepping a second-gen device, the OnePlus Two, which will cost slightly more, but will be made from higher-quality materials.

For more, see PCMag's review of the OnePlus One and the slideshow above.