OPPO is planning to dismantle OnePlus? Here's what the company said

OnePlus has responded to the claims that OPPO may be quietly winding it down. OnePlus India CEO said that the business operations here continue as normal

OnePlus has issued a statement clarifying that the claims doing the rounds in the market that it will soon be shut down are false. OnePlus India CEO, Robin Liu, took to X (formerly Twitter) to say that the operations here continue as normal. This statement was in response to a recent report from Android Headlines that claimed OPPO is dismantling OnePlus by shutting down its headquarters, slashing workforce, communication teams, and upcoming products. 

What’s happening

Android Headlines reported that OnePlus is being quietly wound down rather than formally shut, following a pattern seen earlier with brands like Nokia, BlackBerry, HTC, and LG. The report said that based on internal accounts, analyst data, and long-term industry trends, the brand has seen shipments fall sharply, its premium market position weakened, its headquarters closed without announcement, its regional teams reduced, and key products such as the Open 2 foldable and 15s compact flagship cancelled. It added that decision-making has been centralised in China, with regional offices no longer shaping strategy, signalling a controlled drawdown rather than a temporary slowdown.

 

 

It then cited financial and market indicators as reinforcing this shift. OnePlus shipments reportedly fell by over 20 per cent in 2024 even as the parent OPPO group grew. In India, one of OnePlus’ biggest markets, several retailers are said to have stopped selling its products due to poor margins and service issues, leading to a steep fall in premium market share. In China, sales declined despite public claims of stability, while demand in North America and Western Europe weakened further, leaving OnePlus heavily dependent on two markets — India and China. 

  OnePlus’ US headquarters in Dallas was reportedly closed in March 2024 without public disclosure, carrier partnerships ended, and Europe saw deep staff reductions years earlier. In India, a promise by OnePlus co-founder Pete Lau to build a major research and development hub never materialised, shrinking instead to a fraction of the planned workforce. The report adds that marketing efforts have been sharply scaled back, flagship launches reduced to minimal virtual events, and long-standing PR and communications teams have quietly exited.

 

OPPO’s $14 billion support commitment in 2022 functioned as an emergency intervention rather than a growth push, and reportedly failed to reverse the decline. With OnePlus now accounting for roughly 1.1 per cent of global smartphone shipments and continuing to shrink, maintaining it as a standalone brand has become increasingly difficult to justify. While existing devices are expected to receive promised updates and warranty support, the longer-term outlook, as per Android Headlines, suggests OnePlus is being absorbed and phased out. 

OnePlus responds

As mentioned above, OnePlus India issued a statement clarifying that the “recent unverified reports claiming OnePlus is shutting down are false. OnePlus India’s business operations continue as normal.” It then added, “We urge all stakeholders to verify information from official sources before sharing unsubstantiated claims.”

OPPO makes Realme a sub-brand

In related news, OPPO has recently folded Realme back into its core operations, formally turning it into a sub-brand as part of a cost-cutting and consolidation exercise, according to Reuters. While Realme had operated as an independent brand since 2018, it was originally incubated within OPPO and led by former OPPO executive Sky Li. The integration brings Realme’s R&D, strategy, and operations closer to OPPO, reducing duplication across teams and supply chains at a time when smartphone growth has slowed and margins are under pressure.

 

The move mirrors OPPO’s broader approach to restructuring its smartphone portfolio under BBK Electronics, where brands such as OnePlus and iQOO have already seen tighter alignment with parent companies. Just as OnePlus’ product planning and development have been increasingly centralised under OPPO in recent years, Realme’s absorption signals a shift away from running multiple standalone brands. Instead, OPPO appears to be streamlining operations by consolidating sub-brands to control costs and focus resources, while also planning to phase out a brand that is said to have lost its footing in the market.