Longtime Android fans will remember OnePlus' heyday: in 2014, the company launched what it called its "flagship killer" and dominated the competition while offering a powerful device. Sure, the OnePlus One had some glaring flaws, but it was a fun phone to own.

However, starting with the OnePlus 7 series, we have seen this Chinese phone maker expand beyond its roots; the OnePlus 5 and 6 series were excellent phones, but there were many compromises to keep prices low; with the OnePlus 7 Pro OnePlus has pulled the cork out of the barrel and gone ham.

Although imperfect, the OnePlus 7 Pro had a lot going for it. The T-Series version later that year solidified it. And with the arrival of the OnePlus 8 Pro last year, we can finally recommend OnePlus phones with little caution. The OnePlus 9 Pro, released this year, is one of the best Android phones that can compete with the Galaxy S21 Ultra.

If the phone is so great, what's the problem? Let's take a step back and look at what OnePlus has become over the past three years.

In 2020 alone, OnePlus launched six phones: the OnePlus 8, OnePlus 8 Pro, OnePlus 8T, Nord, Nord N10 5G, and Nord N100 We never saw the original Nord in the US, which looked like a return to OnePlus' roots. I am still disappointed about that.

OnePlus phones used to be two models a year, but now there are six (only five of which were released in the U.S.) The Nord series was the company's attempt to create a lower-priced line with an eerily familiar design reminiscent of its sister company, Oppo It was an attempt to create a lower-priced line.

And seven months into 2021, we've got the OnePlus 9R (India only), OnePlus 9, OnePlus 9 Pro, Nord CE, Nord N200 5G, and the upcoming Nord 2 and OnePlus 9T are sure to follow, OnePlus, seem to be chasing the dream of becoming the next Samsung (which has its own problems with a cluttered device portfolio).

Back to the OnePlus 9 Pro, there was supposed to be a 128GB/8GB base model for $969. This meant that OnePlus could technically say the price of its new high-end smartphone was under $1,000.

However, that model never materialized, and now the company has confirmed to Android Police that the base OnePlus 9 Pro will not be available in the U.S. OnePlus blames supply constraints, but such problems should have appeared long before the OnePlus 9 Pro was announced. OnePlus is blaming supply constraints, but such problems should have appeared long before the OnePlus 9 Pro was announced. More than three months have passed since its announcement.

OnePlus is no stranger to controversy, having just been found throttling apps in the name of battery life. In the past, it also committed a series of marketing blunders. Since then, the company has matured considerably, but such things are hard to forget.

At least, by all accounts, OnePlus continues to listen to the community to some extent, something that other major companies cannot claim. However, as OnePlus puts out more phones, I expect that the user experience will eventually suffer, even with the top-of-the-line models.

After all, the company seems to be in disarray; one of OnePlus' founders, Carl Pei, left the company some time ago. I was surprised to see him leave, because when I met him a few years ago, he seemed genuinely passionate about the success of OnePlus. His sudden departure came as a shock (at least from our perspective), not to say that OnePlus' new direction was the direct cause of Pei's departure, but it does make one wonder.

OnePlus also moved away from what fans liked about the Android-infused OxygenOS. Adopting a look more akin to Samsung's One UI, fans were less enthusiastic; while I don't mind OxygenOS 11, it was a bit odd to see the stock Android feel that OnePlus had repeatedly claimed pride in slowly fade away.

OnePlus has always had an element of chaos, but from where I sit, the company seems to have lost its way. Whether it be the complex product portfolio, the cancelled US release of the base OnePlus 9 Pro, or the app throttling, it is hard to recognize a company that has long been one of the two default recommendations for hardcore Android fans.

We have no insight into what OnePlus is trying to do, so we will have to sit back and watch the furor to see what emerges. But the OnePlus we knew and loved just three years ago is gone.