Is Oppo Finished in Europe, And Will OnePlus Meet the Same Fate?
Media headlines are currently dominated by news about Oppo, as various reports suggest that the BBK subsidiary plans to fully exit the European market. As Oppo and OnePlus are closely intertwined, there are speculations that OnePlus may also face a similar outcome. However, the validity of these rumors is uncertain. We aim to sift through the rumors and present you with facts.
Oppo withdraws from Europe
Yesterday, news headlines in the tech sector were dominated by Oppo and OnePlus. Unfortunately, it was less about the expected Oppo Find X6 Pro and more about the complete exit of the company from the European market. The news was initiated by the Chinese website 36Kr, which claimed that Oppo would withdraw from European markets. To be more specific: Finland, Italy, Spain, France, Great Britain, and Germany.
It is worth noting that BBK Electronics is also the parent company of Realme. When questioned by the editorial team, Realme has provided a written confirmation saying that there are currently no limitations on their daily operations. However, there remains some uncertainty regarding Realme's release policy, including that of the Realme GT 3, which boasts 240 W charging.
We reached out to Vivo, and they confirmed that although they were once a part of the BBK Electronics group, they have been operating independently for several years now. Despite some reports to the contrary, Vivo stated that they have been self-sufficient and not a part of the BBK Electronics association.
Nokia got the ball rolling
Things look a bit more threatening with OnePlus, which was once founded by Carl Pei (who is now at Nothing) and Pete Lau. Oppo and OnePlus share many similarities—see the cooperation with the camera manufacturer Hasselblad—and recently removed their entire smartphone portfolio from specific markets in Europe, such as Germany.
However, yesterday we reached out to the OnePlus United States team and received an official statement from the company, which denied this possibility:
OPPO and OnePlus are committed to all the existing European markets and the UK. We had a great start in 2023 with the successful launches of several products in Europe and have a line-up of upcoming products for the rest of the year. As always, OPPO and OnePlus will continue to provide more innovative products and the best-in-class service for users moving forward.
It appears that there is some confusion regarding OnePlus' official statement, though. Adam Conway, an editor from The Verge and XDA Developer, stated later last night that while OnePlus' statement may have referred specifically to the UK, the rest of Europe could still potentially be affected by a withdrawal from OnePlus. This suggests that the situation regarding OnePlus' plans for the European market remains somewhat unclear.
birds are chirping, phones are piling.
— Roland Quandt (@rquandt) March 27, 2023
Oppo is shutting down their German team by the end of June.
(which does not necessarily mean they're shutting their EU ops, which is also headquartered in Germany)
Finally, our sources connected to Oppo in Germany confirmed to us that the company is closing the German branch for good in 2023. Also something already stated by the highly respected journalist Roland Quand, that confirmed the end of Oppo operations in Germany by the end of June 2023. It was also suggested, reading between the lines, that a small operational team is planned for Europe, implying that Oppo will significantly reduce its marketing efforts in other European countries as well.
How do you perceive the current situation with Oppo? Did you consider Oppo as an option for your needs? Please don't hesitate to share your thoughts in the comments section.
Article updated at 5:53 (GMT-4) with Roland Quand publication on Twitter.
Source: 36Kr
I've found their products disappointing
Would you say you prefer a Xiaomi device over an Oppo?
It's not about Xiaomi, which has too much data collection and adware. But about the hypemachine that drives Oppo and OnePlus even moreso. They overpromise and underdeliver. We see the same kind of thing again with Nothing tryingt to drive interest but with absence of details in the vein of how Infiniti originally launched.
They're all about the noise and how that drives them $. And not so much the product. Definitely not about the ongoing support. I require more of the things I buy.