Did you know - smartphone makers OnePlus, Oppo, and Vivo are all owned by the same company

posted by Luis D. / Jun 21, 2016, 7:54 AM

Did you know - smartphone makers OnePlus, Oppo, and Vivo are all owned by the same company

What do OnePlus, Oppo, and Vivo have in common? Yes, they are all Chinese brands known for their rather interesting smartphones – though if you don't frequent tech websites, chances that you have heard of them are slim. But since you are here at PhoneArena, we can safely assume you're among those in the know. Now, to answer the question – all three brands are subsidiaries of one Chinese mega company. Meet BBK Electronics, a decades-old-and-still-counting player in the consumer electronics game which began with making clones of the Nintendo Entertainment System, among other things.

While Vivo and Oppo are wholly owned by BBK, OnePlus is technically a subsidiary of Oppo, but since BBK owns the parent company as well, we take it the folks at OnePlus are well familiar with the mother company. Not content with just three prolific smartphone-making divisions, BBK is about to launch a new brand by the cutesy name of imoo – targeted towards creating educational phones for children. Its expertise in manufacturing game consoles and toys ought to come in handy for this particular business venture!

BBK's oldschool-looking logo.

With manufacturing factories spread over 10 hectares of land and more than 17,00 employees, it's safe to say that BBK has the resources needed to tackle the management of four smartphone-making powerhouses. In addition to those, BBK also has two branches and one subsidiary on file, where its business in research, production and sales of educational equipment – stuff like learning machines, language repeaters, electronic dictionaries, reading machines, and so forth. Of course, the Oppo brand still manufactures hi-fi and home cinema gear, for which the company is well regarded.

Perhaps a little more about the aforementioned companies under BBK's wing might be in order. As a DVD, Blu-Ray and audio player manufacturer, Oppo has been around for a long while, but it only entered the smartphone game in 2008 – basically when the strong iPhone sales showed everyone into technology where all the money is going... for the next eight years, anyway. Interestingly, it took Oppo all but five years to become China's second most profitable company and rank among the country's leading smartphone makers – the likes of ZTE, Huawei, Lenovo, and Xiaomi.

OPPO R7 PLUS

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OPPO R7 PLUS

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Vivo came about in 2009 but started selling phones later, in 2011. It's known for producing specs-intense handsets that incorporate cutting-edge Hi-Fi chips, high resolution screens, and a highly customized operating system - Funtouch OS, based on Android (duh!) Notably, Vivo operates an audio laboratory in the Shenzhen province, doing research on incorporating high fidelity audio in mobile products. Although most of its handsets hover around the $300 mark, which is 'premium' by Chinese market standards, the company sold over 45 million units in 2015 and achieved an over 150% sales growth.

VIVO X5 PRO

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VIVO X5 PRO

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And now, about that little OnePlus company which recently made a big splash with its third high-specs, affordable phone, the OnePlus 3. Co-founded by ex-Oppo employee Pete Lau and his comrade Carl Pei, BBK's sub-sub brand is barely three years young on the market but it commands a strong presence, racking up over $300 million in revenue in 2014.

ONEPLUS X

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ONEPLUS X

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Finally, here's the little we know about imoo, BBK's latest venture. The brand is about to launch its first product, the sternly titled "imoo learning phone", on June 24. Interesting enough, this isn't some plastic toy phone, but rather a proper all-metal phone whose silhouette is very reminiscent of the iPhone... how surprising. Perhaps something got lost in translation and the imoo isn't a "learning" phone as much as it is a good-looking device made to appeal to image-conscious high-school students. We'll see what exactly does imoo have in store soon enough.

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via: PhoneRadar 1 , 2

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20 Comments

1. legiloca

Posts: 1673; Member since: Nov 11, 2014

*inhale* *exhale* F A S C I N A T I N G . . . .

posted on Jun 21, 2016, 8:00 AM 0

2. ibend

Posts: 6747; Member since: Sep 30, 2014

so.. they are the real 3rd biggest smartphone maker (by market share last quarter) OPPO and Vivo combined can surpass huawei

posted on Jun 21, 2016, 8:06 AM 1

3. iLovesarcasm

Posts: 589; Member since: Oct 20, 2014

All of them are substandard phones.

posted on Jun 21, 2016, 8:09 AM 2

18. BranBro365

Posts: 2; Member since: May 13, 2018

I know I'm late with this, so hopefully you've changed your tune, but I definitely would not say the 1+5T is substandard. I'm sure it beats whatever you have unless it's am iPhone in which case how's that headphone jack coming?

posted on May 13, 2018, 6:30 PM 0

4. Barney_stinson

Posts: 672; Member since: May 30, 2016

Oppo-- its all about cameras vivo-- its all about looks oneplus-- its all about flagship

posted on Jun 21, 2016, 8:34 AM 1

6. Arthurhkt

Posts: 713; Member since: Apr 19, 2012

I believe vivo ia more about music

posted on Jun 21, 2016, 8:50 AM 1

7. poptart574

Posts: 223; Member since: Feb 29, 2016

Correct. Vivo is the flagship company whereas oppo is midrange while 1+1 is the offspring of these two.

posted on Jun 21, 2016, 8:56 AM 1

12. chenski

Posts: 726; Member since: Mar 22, 2015

why dont they combine into one flagship with good looks and good camera, the oppvivplus!

posted on Jun 21, 2016, 4:57 PM 1

13. poptart574

Nah we already have the 1+3. Oppo should release an updated version of the find 7 and N3 models and Vivo has released the amazing xplay 5 elite and x6 plus D. Both stupendous phones with fast charging insane battery life great hardware, and the completely customizable fun touch os.

posted on Jun 21, 2016, 6:07 PM 0

5. Arthurhkt

What more, BBK itself manufacture phones too, they have another subsidiary too, Vsun, which also making phones....

posted on Jun 21, 2016, 8:38 AM 1

8. poptart574

Vivo xplay 5 elite is the true flagship model from BBK. PA focuses on the lesser phones such as 1+3 and oppo mid rangers.

posted on Jun 21, 2016, 8:59 AM 0

9. HugoBarraCyanogenmod

Posts: 1408; Member since: Jul 06, 2014

China china long live China!

posted on Jun 21, 2016, 9:58 AM 1

16. KONICHIWA-ANNYONG unregistered

CHINA 1 TAIWAN 0 JAPAN 0 SOUTH KOREA 0 SINGAPORE 0

posted on Jun 25, 2016, 1:34 AM 0

10. PhoneFixer unregistered

Parena yeah this know few years back.. oh you just realized ? :DD Come oon Parena stop loving iphone too much and please pay attention on chinese android phones..

posted on Jun 21, 2016, 12:32 PM 0

11. Andrewtst

Posts: 696; Member since: Jan 25, 2009

I know One Plus & Oppo is own by same company, never though of Vivo also!

posted on Jun 21, 2016, 1:13 PM 0

15. PhoneFixer unregistered

Man I had vivo x3s since 2014 and I know this since then ..

posted on Jun 22, 2016, 4:02 AM 0

14. poptart574

Phones made by this company never get reviewed by PA cause they violate anything done by PA favorite fruit company

posted on Jun 21, 2016, 6:10 PM 0

17. perry1234

Posts: 603; Member since: Aug 14, 2012

All phones have poor customer satisfaction rates outside of China.

posted on Jun 27, 2016, 9:18 AM 0

19. BranBro365

I live in the US and I love my 1+5T, I have had it since it got released and haven't had one problem with it. Really the only problem I have with OnePlus is their community forum, it seems like its filled with a bunch of immature @$$h01e$.