Its official: OnePlus smartphones will no longer be sold in U.S. and Europe
Updated on Thursday, July 16 at 12:30 p.m. ET — OnePlus has confirmed that it will cease operations in the West, according to our colleagues at CNET. That means the OnePlus 15 will be the final OnePlus phone released in the U.S. or Europe. Existing OnePlus devices in those markets will continue to receive software support for as long as was promised at launch, but users will be shifted from Oxygen OS to parent company Oppo's Color OS.
Moving forward, OnePlus will merge operations with its parent company Oppo, which makes consumer electronics and smartphones for the global market.
Keep scrolling for our original story on this news.
We may need to pour one out for OnePlus in the very near future.
German news outlet WinFuture (via PCMag) reports that OnePlus, which has carved out a niche by offering more affordable phones with flagship specs over the years, will soon cease operations in the U.S. and Europe.
The announcement is reportedly expected from Chinese parent company Oppo as soon as this week.
No reason for the cessation of OnePlus has been mentioned. However, messaging around OnePlus, in reporting and in official company statements, has been moving in this direction for months now.
AndroidHeadlines first reported the surprising news back in January, before OnePlus told PCMag back in April it was "evaluating its regional roadmap and product strategy" in North America.
Now it seems that evaluation has concluded.
For Android enthusiasts in the west, this is a real bummer. While the likes of Google and Samsung still produce quality handsets, OnePlus would regularly swoop in and offer phones of a similar quality for under $1,000, with last year's OnePlus 15 being a good example.
Perhaps the brand just never found footing in such a competitive market, and surely RAMageddon didn't help OnePlus's quest to offer semi-affordable devices, but taking away one of the best Android alternatives in the west isn't going to help anybody.
If this is the end, it's been good, OnePlus. Perhaps Oppo can find another way to sell its wares in the U.S. and Europe soon.
from Mashable https://ift.tt/LAmTBnx
via IFTTT