After 22 years in the industry, popular Chinese mobile brand OnePlus is reportedly winding down its operations in the UK and parts of Europe. In recent weeks, the company has seen a wave of high-profile departures, casting uncertainty over its European presence.
Several senior employees, including the UK PR manager and country leads for the UK and Spain, have left OnePlus. An anonymous source told Android Authority, “Almost the entire EU team left the company last week,” highlighting the growing instability within the company’s regional structure.
On March 24th, 9to5Google reported that OnePlus plans to “cease operations in certain regions,” including large parts of Europe, with changes possibly taking effect as soon as April. Meanwhile, Robin Liu, OnePlus India’s CEO, stepped down recently to “pursue personal passions,” as reported by Fortune.
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These developments align with OnePlus’s ongoing integration with its parent company Oppo. Since 2021, OnePlus’s research and development teams have merged with Oppo’s, and its OxygenOS software now shares the same codebase as Oppo’s ColorOS.
While the full impact of this exit remains unclear, experts draw parallels to LG’s 2021 departure from the smartphone market, which included extended software support for some devices for up to three years post-closure. The Independent’s Alex Lee reassures users, “It’s highly unlikely your phone will suddenly stop working overnight,” but acknowledges that there are no guarantees regarding future updates or support.
Amidst this uncertainty, UK-based tech start-up Nothing has launched its first smartphone, Phone (1), positioning itself as a challenger to dominant players like Apple and Samsung. Founded by Carl Pei, a co-founder of OnePlus, Nothing aims to shake up the industry with innovative design and fresh user experiences. Pei stated, “We designed Phone (1) as a product we’d be proud to share with friends and family… to create an experience that marks the start of change in a stagnant industry.”
Consumers using OnePlus devices in the UK and Europe are advised to stay informed about official updates and prepare for possible changes to service and support in the coming months.