OnePlus once again rumored to lose brand independence and devolve to an Oppo product line
OnePlus is likely ceasing to exist as we know it.
How the mighty flagship killers have fallen. | Image by PhoneArena
Another round of fresh rumors has it that OnePlus, one of the more popular Android manufacturers out there, might soon stop being its own entity and devolve to merely an Oppo device range. Major reshuffling with OnePlus in India might indicate the future of the brand
Major reshuffling with OnePlus in India might indicate the future of the brand
This indication of a major brand reshuffling comes from India, where Realme CEO Michael Guo, who has also reportedly been "informally overseeing" OnePlus India's day-to-day operations, has stepped down due to health issues. The stepping down was revealed by a publication in Moneycontrol.
However, the rumor mill is also convinced that his departure is also because of major revamps that would see the Realme and OnePlus brands become part of Oppo.
We confirm that Michael Guo has stepped down from his role as the Representative Head overseeing business of India at realme brand due to certain health reasons. The company respects his decision and extends its sincere appreciation for his valuable contributions to the business including the India territory during his tenure.
Realme India spokeperson in front of Moneycontrol
In the absence of Michael Guo, the operation in the vast Indian market will be overseen by Chase Xu, a Vice President with Realme.
Would you miss OnePlus operating as an independent brand?
OnePlus devolving to an Oppo product line?
Well, aside from the personnel changes, the report over at Moneycontrol claims that this restructuring falls in line with Oppo's broader plans of bringing both Realme and OnePlus become product lineups of Oppo, losing their distinct brand independence.
This would mean that while OnePlus phones won't technically become extinct, they will be sold as an Oppo product line. The same fate will befall Realme as well, which has already left the Chinese domestic market.
The signs of this are already here, as earlier this year OnePlus India closed its retail locations and shifted to an online-only brand. In fact, OnePlus is currently mostly active in China and India. While the OnePlus website is active in Europe and many stores still sell OnePlus phones, operations are visibly downscaled by a major extent.
There has been a lot of smoke to indicate the smoldering fire
This news doesn't come off as surprising. In fact, over the past few months, we've been hearing about OnePlus' potential demise a lot. Everything from a total shutdown of the brand to merging with Oppo to leaving the key US and European markets has been rumored.
There was even a bombshell rumor that OnePlus was to cease all operations starting in 2026, but obviously this didn't prove to be correct. Not entirely, at least.
At the same time, we have been hearing a lot of rumors about OnePlus' upcoming flagship, the OnePlus 16, which is expected later this year and will probably serve as one last hurrah before OnePlus gets integrated into Oppo.
I've been expecting that, and I'm fine with it
I've been a fan of OnePlus ever since their inception back in 2014. However, it's objectively true that the company hasn't been the same since Carl Pei left and it became a subsidiary alongside Oppo and Realme under the OPlus conglomerate. Since then, it's mostly sold rebranded Oppo flagship devices, which were slightly nerfed in comparison with the original.
And you know what? I'm fine with that.
I've recently settled on an Oppo daily driver (the Find X9 Pro), which is essentially a significantly better phone carrying the same shared OnePlus DNA. If anything, OnePlus phones ceased to be the flagship killers they were once marketed as a long, long time ago, becoming the very thing they swore to destroy back in their inception.
And I'm sorry, but that's not something I'd miss.
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