What's your opinion of OnePlus?

When smartphone entrant OnePlus finally took the wraps off of its first smartphone — the One — we were part of the cheering crowd — that's how our review (now year old) of the device started out. The Chinese upstart was determined to grab the headlines by playing off people's imaginations, and presenting itself as a complete underdog that dares to challenge the big boys, and 'never settles' for anything but the best.

As time went by, however, we found that more and more compromises were made in order for the company to offer a flagship-level device for just $299 off contract. Whether we're talking about recurring software bugs, willful touchscreen panels, or problematic displays, it's fair to say that OnePlus had a lot of opportunities to learn from its mistakes. And that's without counting the whole fiasco with the invitations-based purchase system.

Yet, the OnePlus community is holding strong, and the company's name is still making the rounds across the blogosphere, all on a microscopic marketing budget. Like it or not, OnePlus managed what very few entrants have — to take attention away from conventional smartphone makers and win itself a ton of publicity. And now, with the company's second smartphone just weeks away, it's time we finally asked you: What is your opinion of the company?