- OPPO and its associated brands, including OnePlus, plan to withdraw from several European countries including France according to several sources
- The withdrawal would be linked to the macroeconomic situation and patent problems with Nokia, in addition to difficulties linked to the high costs of bringing products to market in the zone.
- The two Chinese manufacturers officially deny these rumors, but their commercial strategy remains unclear
OPPO and OnePlus have had some success in Europe in recent years with state-of-the-art smartphones. Oppo has for example been able to push very far the limits of what we could do in terms of screens, ceramic shells, or photo sensors. In the case of OnePlus, the brand established itself very early on with unbeatable value for money. However the adventure of these two pioneers in France and on the whole of the old continent could soon come to an end, at least if we are to believe several concordant sources.
I can confirm: OPPO and OnePlus are pulling out of Europe. First to leave are Germany, UK, France and Netherlands.
— Max Jambor (@MaxJmb) March 27, 2023
A Chinese media, 36Krypton, relayed by several credible sources such as Max Jambor or SnoopyTech affirms that OPPO and its associated brands, including OnePlus and perhaps also Realme, are thinking very seriously about withdrawing from the United Kingdom, France, France. Germany and the Netherlands. Why withdraw now? OPPO-related brands would suffer from particularly high costs on the continent, especially when bringing new SKUs to market.
Why the days of OPPO and OnePlus in Europe are probably numbered
These costs would be far too high in relation to the price positioning of the brands and the ancillary costs linked to the development and manufacture of the units. To make matters worse, the macroeconomic situation has become much less favorable for these brands, in markets largely occupied by other players, in particular Samsung and Apple. The war between Russia and Ukraine and inflation have reduced the purchasing power of consumers.
Finally, the patent problems with Nokia would also weigh in the balance. The Finnish giant has launched a procedure against OPPO and OnePlus. The manufacturer accuses the brands of having violated its patents on 5G. Nokia has also obtained a sales ban in Germany as of August 20, 2022.
For their part, OPPO and OnePlus reacted to our colleagues from Android Authority to deny any departure plans. A spokesperson at OPPO told the site that its business in Europe was normal and even indicated that the brand was happy with its Find N2 Flip sales in Europe:
“The European market has always been one of our most important markets. We have made a good start in Europe in 2023 and our activities in Europe are normal. With the successful launch of Find N2 Flip from London and the presentation of our latest technologies and products alongside MWC 2023, Oppo will continue to focus on user needs and ways to deliver more innovative products and services.”explains OPPO to Android Authority.
For its part, OnePlus sent a statement to the same source saying that the brand would not leave Europe and the United Kingdom and that OnePlus would maintain stable operations in local markets of the old continent: “OnePlus will not leave Europe or the UK and maintain stable operations in local markets. OnePlus will continue to invest in Europe and to deliver products and solutions for its users”.
Presse-citron has also separately contacted representatives of Oppo France who provided us with this statement: “OPPO and OnePlus maintain their commitments in all European markets in which they are present. OPPO had a strong start to 2023 with the launch of its first folding smartphone in Europe, the Find N2 Flip”.
Can we stick to these reassuring statements for the time being? Not really. Because if OPPO and OnePlus claim that everything is fine, their vague business strategy has for some time cast doubt. For example, OPPO has not yet scheduled any launch of the Find X6 series in Europe this year, even though these are its flagship models in China. As for OnePlus, the manufacturer has not yet renewed its Nord range – however, the brand recently launched its new OnePlus 11, available in France since February 16, 2023.
