OnePlus, the ‘Flagship-Killer’ Smartphone Brand, Is All but Dead
Wired reports on the decline of the smartphone brand OnePlus, citing widespread layoffs and a lack of clarity regarding its future in Western markets. The report suggests the brand is being absorbed into its parent company, Oppo.
Why it matters
Provides investigative context to the brand's contraction, highlighting the human impact of corporate restructuring and the uncertainty facing consumers.
The company, a subsidiary of Oppo—the fourth-largest global smartphone maker—has been laying off staff across various regions over the past few months, with many employees in Europe transitioning to roles at Oppo or Realme, another Oppo mobile subbrand. WIRED has verified these transitions and layoffs by speaking with former OnePlus employees and tracking dozens of LinkedIn updates over the past month; many workers left their roles between March and June of this year.
Oppo provided a blanket statement to WIRED when asked for comment: “To further consolidate resources and enhance global product strategy synergy, Realme will focus on overseas markets and no longer launch new products in China. OnePlus' product roadmap in China remains unchanged. Both Realme and OnePlus will continue to deliver premium gaming and performance experiences to users."
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in