{"id":804304,"date":"2026-07-16T16:38:14","date_gmt":"2026-07-16T16:38:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/804304\/"},"modified":"2026-07-16T16:38:14","modified_gmt":"2026-07-16T16:38:14","slug":"onepluss-death-is-bad-oppos-refusal-to-replace-it-is-worse","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/804304\/","title":{"rendered":"OnePlus’s death is bad. Oppo’s refusal to replace it is worse"},"content":{"rendered":"

The choice of smartphones available in the US is already considerably smaller than in many other regions, and has now been made even smaller by the news OnePlus will no longer sell phones in both North America and Europe<\/a>.<\/p>\n

While this is obviously bad news, it gets worse because Oppo \u2014 a brand at its peak \u2014 isn\u2019t stepping in to take over.<\/p>\n


\n \"A<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

Related<\/p>\n

\t\t
\n\t\t\tI’ll only accept a OnePlus exit on one condition, and it’s a shake-up that makes sense
\n\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

If there’s only space for one brand, Oppo is the one I want in 2026<\/p>\n

What\u2019s Oppo\u2019s plan?<\/p>\n

OnePlus is over. That’s it<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

Oppo mad\u0119 the announcement that OnePlus would no longer sell products in the US and Europe on July 17. While the brand\u2019s fate elsewhere in the world isn\u2019t so clear, we do know OnePlus as we know it is at an end.<\/p>\n

When asked about whether the essence of OnePlus would be seen in Oppo phones or not, the answer was that OnePlus\u2019s \u2018good qualities\u2019 would be carried over into Oppo devices, along with elements that have already been integrated, such as through OxygenOS and ColorOS blending into one.<\/p>\n

This can be interpreted as the OnePlus name and its devices are essentially gone, at least in the US and Europe, and little to nothing will remain. Silver lining? It leaves Oppo with the right foundations and a rare opportunity to romance everyone disillusioned by Samsung, Google, and Apple.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

It has the hardware to do it. The Oppo Find X9 Ultra<\/a> is a fantastic camera phone, the Oppo Find N6<\/a> big-screen foldable is my favorite model of the year so far, and the OnePlus Watch 3<\/a> has some of the best battery life in a smartwatch, which is achieved in an innovative way.<\/p>\n

Oppo\u2019s strategic focus is apparently about putting the right device in front of the right people, in the right places. It undoubtedly has the right devices, and with a OnePlus-shaped hole in the US\u2019s smartphone line-up, it has the right place too.<\/p>\n

Yet, Oppo has no such plans at all.<\/p>\n

OnePlus has left the door open<\/p>\n

But Oppo’s not going through<\/p>\n

\"OnePlus<\/p>\n

OnePlus was never a big industry player, but it had (has?) a dedicated fan base, and its devices were well-regarded, even after Oppo muscled in and turned OnePlus phones into OnePlus\/Oppo hybrids.<\/p>\n

There was a time when OnePlus phones could be purchased through a carrier in the US too. Various models, including the OnePlus 9 and OnePlus 10 Pro were sold by T-Mobile.<\/p>\n

OnePlus had the community, media praise, and tried its best to play the carrier game, which is widely accepted as the only way to have any chance of success in the US. Yet, it couldn\u2019t quite make it work long-term.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

Oppo is no small player. It holds fourth place in global smartphone shipments market share, according to Counterpoint Research\u2019s data<\/a>, and just a single percentage point behind third place company Xiaomi.<\/p>\n

OnePlus has, at the very least, some public mindshare, it definitely has previous relationships with carriers<\/a>, and is very familiar to the media. It has value. The industry and business machinations over the past few years just haven\u2019t helped it flourish.<\/p>\n

Oppo is now free of any pretense of keeping OnePlus going. It could aggressively leverage all that OnePlus goodwill to bring, and let’s be honest here, its far superior devices to a region crying out for some competition.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s surprising not to see it counter the deflating news of OnePlus\u2019s demise with some great news that it\u2019s working on bringing a phone to the US in 2026. Instead, it\u2019s avoiding any such activity, and in turn letting OnePlus and all its hard work getting into the US in the first place, get forgotten.<\/p>\n

\t\t\"AndroidQuiz<\/p>\n

\t\t\t8 Questions \u00b7 Test Your Knowledge
\n\t\t\t\tOnePlus and Oppo
Trivia challenge<\/p>\n

Think you know the brands behind some of Android’s boldest moves? Put your
\n\t\t\t\t\t\tknowledge to the test.<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\tHistoryFlagshipSoftwareInnovationBranding\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

Begin<\/p>\n

In what year was OnePlus officially founded?<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tA2011B2012C2013D2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n

Correct! OnePlus was founded in December 2013 by Pete Lau and Carl Pei.
\n\t\t\t\tThe company launched with the bold mission of creating ‘never settle’ flagship-quality phones at more
\n\t\t\t\taffordable prices.<\/p>\n

Not quite. OnePlus was founded in December 2013 by Pete Lau and Carl
\n\t\t\t\tPei. It quickly made waves in 2014 with the launch of the OnePlus One, which required an invite to
\n\t\t\t\tpurchase.<\/p>\n

Continue<\/p>\n

Oppo is a subsidiary of which larger Chinese technology conglomerate?<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tAHuawei TechnologiesBXiaomi GroupCLenovo GroupDBBK Electronics\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n

Correct! Oppo is owned by BBK Electronics, one of the world’s largest
\n\t\t\t\tsmartphone manufacturers. BBK also owns Vivo, Realme, and OnePlus, making it a sprawling empire of
\n\t\t\t\tsmartphone brands.<\/p>\n

Not quite. Oppo is owned by BBK Electronics, a Chinese conglomerate that
\n\t\t\t\talso controls Vivo, Realme, and OnePlus. Despite being separate brands with distinct identities, they
\n\t\t\t\tshare significant resources and technology.<\/p>\n

Continue<\/p>\n

What was the name of OnePlus’s first ever smartphone, launched in 2014?<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tAOnePlus XBOnePlus OneCOnePlus AlphaDOnePlus Prime\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n

Correct! The OnePlus One debuted in April 2014 and became a cult hit. It
\n\t\t\t\toffered flagship Snapdragon 801 performance at roughly half the price of competitors, and its
\n\t\t\t\tinvite-only system created huge hype.<\/p>\n

Not quite. The OnePlus One was the company’s debut smartphone in 2014.
\n\t\t\t\tIt ran a customized version of CyanogenMod and was widely praised for delivering premium specs at a
\n\t\t\t\tmid-range price point.<\/p>\n

Continue<\/p>\n

Oppo is widely credited with pioneering which fast-charging technology that later
\n\t\t\t\t\tinfluenced the entire industry?<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tAQualcomm Quick ChargeBVOOC Flash ChargeCTurbo PowerDWarp Charge\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n

Correct! Oppo’s VOOC (Voltage Open Loop Multi-step Constant-Current
\n\t\t\t\tCharging) technology debuted in 2014 and was a genuine industry milestone. It charges at high current
\n\t\t\t\trather than high voltage, keeping the phone cooler during charging.<\/p>\n

Not quite. The answer is VOOC Flash Charge, introduced by Oppo in 2014.
\n\t\t\t\tWarp Charge, while a great option, is actually OnePlus’s branding for its own fast-charging tech, which
\n\t\t\t\tis derived from VOOC. Both companies share roots in the BBK family.<\/p>\n

Continue<\/p>\n

What is the official name of OnePlus’s Android-based operating system as of 2024?\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tAHydrogenOSBColorOSCOxygenOSDNitrogenOS\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n

Correct! OxygenOS is OnePlus’s custom Android skin, long praised for
\n\t\t\t\tbeing clean and close to stock Android while adding useful features. It has evolved significantly over
\n\t\t\t\tthe years and now shares a unified codebase with Oppo’s ColorOS.<\/p>\n

Not quite. OxygenOS is the correct answer. HydrogenOS is actually the
\n\t\t\t\tname OnePlus uses for its Chinese domestic market version of the OS. ColorOS is Oppo’s skin, though both
\n\t\t\t\tnow share an underlying codebase.<\/p>\n

Continue<\/p>\n

Which Oppo smartphone series is its top-tier flagship line, competing directly with
\n\t\t\t\t\tSamsung’s Galaxy S and Apple’s iPhone?<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tAOppo RenoBOppo A SeriesCOppo Find XDOppo F Series\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n

Correct! The Oppo Find X series is the brand’s premium flagship lineup.
\n\t\t\t\tThe original Find X in 2018 wowed the world with its motorized sliding pop-up camera mechanism,
\n\t\t\t\tsignaling Oppo’s serious ambitions at the top of the market.<\/p>\n

Not quite. The Oppo Find X series is the company’s flagship tier. The
\n\t\t\t\tReno series sits in the upper-mid range, the A series is entry-level, and the F series focuses on camera
\n\t\t\t\tperformance for everyday users.<\/p>\n

Continue<\/p>\n

Carl Pei, the co-founder of OnePlus, left the company in 2020 to found which new
\n\t\t\t\t\tconsumer tech brand?<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tANothingBEssentialCFairphoneDPixels\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n

Correct! Carl Pei departed OnePlus in October 2020 and founded Nothing,
\n\t\t\t\ta London-based tech company. Nothing launched its first product, the Nothing ear (1) wireless earbuds,
\n\t\t\t\tin 2021, followed by the Nothing Phone (1) in 2022.<\/p>\n

Not quite. Carl Pei founded Nothing after leaving OnePlus. Essential was
\n\t\t\t\tactually founded by Android co-creator Andy Rubin. Nothing has since built a distinctive identity with
\n\t\t\t\tits transparent design language and glyph lighting system.<\/p>\n

Continue<\/p>\n

Oppo set a world record in 2021 by demonstrating a smartphone charging at what
\n\t\t\t\t\tremarkable wattage?<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tA120WB150WC200WD240W\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n

Correct! In 2021, Oppo demonstrated 200W fast-charging technology,
\n\t\t\t\tcapable of charging a 4,000mAh battery in just 9 minutes. This showcased just how aggressively the
\n\t\t\t\tcompany was pushing the boundaries of charging innovation.<\/p>\n

Not quite. Oppo demonstrated a staggering 200W charging speed in 2021,
\n\t\t\t\tfar ahead of what most flagships offered commercially at the time. While real-world products launched at
\n\t\t\t\tslightly lower wattages, it proved the technology was viable and close to market-ready.<\/p>\n

See My Score<\/p>\n

\t\t\tChallenge Complete
\n\t\t\t\tYour Score<\/p>\n

\/ 8<\/p>\n

Thanks for playing!<\/p>\n

Try Again\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

OnePlus couldn’t crack the code<\/p>\n

Oppo’s not willing to even try<\/p>\n

\"Closing<\/p>\n

Oppo has the financial ability, device range, brand recognition (globally, at least), and perhaps most important of all, an opportunity to take OnePlus\u2019s place in the US.<\/p>\n

The fact it\u2019s not doing so tells us all we need to know. It\u2019s simply not worth it. OnePlus didn\u2019t crack the code, and Oppo\u2019s not going to throw more money at the situation, trying to do the same with the added pressure of introducing a new brand name.<\/p>\n

Whether it\u2019s public complacency, consumer laziness, carrier market control, political sentiment, trade restrictions or costs, brand snobbery, or a combination of all these things and more, a brand with Oppo\u2019s clout has decided it\u2019s not worth bothering to try and sell phones in the US.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

I find Oppo\u2019s decision not to replace OnePlus far more depressing than OnePlus leaving the US and Europe.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not even about a lack of choice, or lessening the stranglehold Samsung and Apple have on the US smartphone world. It\u2019s that there are fantastic phones from an established brand that are practically impossible for a lot of people to buy.<\/p>\n

How unfair. A great brand making good phones will essentially disappear from the US, and the top brand closely involved in the move decides it\u2019s not worth the time or money to try again.<\/p>\n

Better hope the Samsung Galaxy S27 and Apple iPhone 18 will be decent, then.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The choice of smartphones available in the US is already considerably smaller than in many other regions, and…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":804305,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[64,63,105],"class_list":["post-804304","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-technology","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/804304","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=804304"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/804304\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/804305"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=804304"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=804304"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=804304"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}