The phonemaker giving Xiaomi a run for its money

Beijing

XIAOMI Corp became one of the world's most valuable startups by selling cheap, features-packed smartphones to its home market of China. OnePlus is trying to match that success by doing the opposite.

The Shenzhen, China-based OnePlus sold more than a million units of its debut device, the One, last year by favouring overseas markets such as US, the UK and India. Almost two-thirds of those phones were shipped abroad, where a US$299 price tag, an invite-only sales system and an easy-to-pronounce English name fostered early buzz. The company expects to more than triple sales this year.