On August 13th, OnePlus China President Li Jie published an article discussing the topic of "Are 128GB phones a thing of the past?" He believes that 128GB phones are no longer able to meet the needs of contemporary users.
Li Jie stated that OnePlus has always believed that product strategy should be centered around real user needs. Based on the evolution of user needs and technological trends, 128GB of storage is not only insufficient to meet the needs of contemporary users, but is also no longer suitable for flagship models. On the one hand, the explosive expansion of the application ecosystem has led to exponential growth in storage requirements for social and gaming apps. On the other hand, there is a hidden cost to user experience: frequent storage cleanups and app uninstalls are a constant drain on user time and experience.
Li Jie also stated that large storage is the cornerstone of the flagship phone experience, and OnePlus is not only a staunch advocate of this trend, but also an active practitioner and promoter. CNMO noted that the OnePlus Ace Pro, released in August 2022, eliminated the 128GB version, with all models starting at 256GB. Li Jie stated that this isn't simply a simplistic over-the-top specs move, but rather a decision based on a deep understanding of real user needs: 256GB provides users with ample storage space, meeting current needs while leaving ample room for the future.
According to CNMO, the OnePlus Ace 2 Pro, released in October 2023, will be OnePlus' first model with 1TB of storage. Currently, OnePlus' latest phone, the OnePlus Ace 5 Ultra, offers the highest storage option of 16GB + 1TB.