OnePlus is a quirky company. And the way it sells its devices is one great example: It allots a certain number of each handset it sells for different markets. And when that allotment sells out, the device is no longer available. They literally don’t make more, or shift handset from other markets over to the sold-out market.

On that note, if you live in North America and were saving up for a OnePlus 5T, I’ve got bad news for you: That handset is no longer available. It’s sold out.

And OnePlus has confirmed to Engadget that this is a permanent condition, too: It will not provide any more 5T handsets to North American markets.

In the good news department, OnePlus sold out of 5Ts much more quickly than it had anticipated. So it will no doubt allot more of its next flagship, the OnePlus 6, when that device debuts later in the coming quarter.

While I feel that this strategy is wrong-headed at best, OnePlus defends it, noting that “in a category where no one is growing, we’re growing.” But because of a decision to rapidly rev the original OnePlus 5, from early 2017, with an updated 5T model late in the year, this most recent flagship has only been available for a few months. And now it’s already gone. No other smartphone maker is this short-sighted. Why would any company not sell any much product as it could?

Anyway, the OnePlus 5T is an excellent handset, and it is a great, low-cost alternative to today’s too-expensive flagships. It’s weird that we can’t buy it here anymore.

Tagged with OnePlus, OnePlus 5T