OnePlus X, the hottest phone you've never heard of, now widely available - CNET

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When you're looking for a new phone, a handful of names spring to mind. Apple, Samsung, Motorola and LG have spent years establishing themselves as popular household names in the world of mobile devices.

But as the gap between premium phones narrows and as people grow savvier about how much they're willing to pay, you might be looking at cheaper alteatives. Chinese companies like Huawei and Xiaomi are starting to tu heads with phones that pack sophisticated hardware in an affordable body.

One little-known Chinese phone maker, meanwhile, has made waves thanks to an invite-only gimmick that limited how many people could actually buy its phone. You might not yet have heard of OnePlus, but ask your hard-core Android friends, and they may start salivating at its mention. The exclusivity factor had people queueing around the block in many countries to get their paws on an invitation.

Oh, and then there's the phone's modest price as well as its embrace of Oxygen OS, a more open version of Android that lets you easily tweak and customize your phone.

On Thursday, OnePlus removed the invitation requirement after a three-month run, meaning anyone can buy the new $290 OnePlus X directly from the company.