Adamya Sharma/Android Authority
TL; DR
- Its sub-brands, including OPPO and OnePlus, are set to launch in most parts of Europe.
- According to reports, the smartphone maker will initially launch in the UK, France, Germany and the Netherlands.
- OPPO has informed the Android Authority that its operations in the EU are currently going normally. OnePlus has also ruled out leaving the UK and Europe.
Update: March 28, 2023 (1:50 PM ET): OPPO and OnePlus have released another joint statement on their plans in Europe. The company appears to have stalled this year, at least. But there were some mixed messages in what they said. Here you can read all about the latest official OPPO and OnePlus stores.
Original Story: March 27, 2023 (6:42 am ET): What started as a report from a Chinese publication called 36Krypton has grown into multiple reports, including some from trusted industry whistleblowers like Max Jambor and Twitter's SnoopyTech. What's the big news? Well, OPPO and its sub-brands, including OnePlus and maybe Realme, seem to hail from the UK, France, Germany and the Netherlands.
I can confirm: OPPO and OnePlus are moving out of Europe. Germany, England, France and the Netherlands will start.
The company is said to be withdrawing from Europe due to high sales costs in the region. Although the products are sold in European countries, the investment returns are not high. Citing a source close to the matter, 36Krypton reports that OPPO's European business is booming (automatically translated).
Adamya Sharma/Android Authority
Macroeconomic factors are also responsible for OPPO's exit from the European Union. The Russo-Ukrainian war and rising inflation have reduced consumer spending in the region. According to Counterpoint Research, 2022 is the worst year for smartphone shipments in Europe. Notably, OPPO shipments fell by 39% year-on-year in the fourth quarter of 2022.
Our operations in the EU are currently normal
We contacted OPPO about the alleged development and initially received a vague reply. A spokesperson told us that the company is excited to launch the Find N2 Flip in the European market. Your next statement is as follows:
The European market has always been one of our main markets. We have a good start in the European market in 2023 and our business in Europe is going as usual. With the successful launch of Find N2 Flip in London and showcasing our latest technologies and products at MWC 2023, OPPO will continue to focus on users' needs and provide more innovative products and services.
This is neither a denial nor a confirmation of OPPO's exit from Europe. However, when asked, a company spokesman said: "At the moment our business in the EU is running normally."
Meanwhile, the statement that OnePlus emailed us reads as follows:
OnePlus will not leave Europe and the UK and will maintain stable operations in the local market. OnePlus will continue to invest in Europe and offer its users more innovative products and solutions.
As they say, more questions arise as to why OPPO won't launch the Find X6 series in Europe this year. The company recently launched it in China and made it clear that the flagships will not leave their home country. The move can be interpreted as a harbinger of a total withdrawal from Europe. But now that OPPO says everything is fine, it's hard to know what's really going on behind the scenes.
Besides OPPO, Apple, Samsung, Xiaomi, Google and Motorola will be the main smartphone vendors in the region. Among these, there is limited competition between Samsung and Xiaomi in the Android smartphone market as they hold the largest market share.
