What you need to know
- OnePlus is allowing users to buy an Explorer backpack without an invite, finally.
- The backpack debuted alongside the OnePlus 6T last year.
- Bag was invite only to be a status symbol, a sign of brand loyalty.
The OnePlus Explorer is my current gear bag — and I've practically worn the straps out hauling it around Walt Disney World — but the biggest problem I have with it is that normal folks like you and I could not just go to OnePlus.com and just buy the bag outright. No, that would be too easy and the Explorer was supposed to be some OnePlus superfan symbol so that OnePlus fans could recognize each other on the street or something.
(For the record, I've wrong this backpack for 7 months at the parks, and not a single person has walked up and introduced themselves as a OnePlus fan. They call out my AC shirts sometimes, but no OnePlus callouts.)
Alas, the bag is now available for anyone and everyone to purchase, and YIPPIE for that, because despite the somewhat odd storage compartments, this bag is versatile, durable, and well worth its $99 price tag. With a CORDURA shell, pull tab security clasp for the main compartment, two phone-sized hidden compartments and a waterproof pouch on the front that's the perfect size for an umbrella, this is a great bag for a techie on the go. I love the separate laptop sleeve because it's easy to access without having to open up the main compartment every time.
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