After the rumours of a withdrawal from India earlier in 2026, which the brand denied at the time, OnePlus is once again in the news for the same concern. A report from Bloomberg has brought back attention on the Oppo sub-brand, suggesting that OnePlus might be pulling out of US markets later this year and may consider quitting the Indian market in 2027.
OnePlus, however, has denied the allegations, confirming that it is staying in India, a notion that’s evident from the upcoming launch of a budget-centric OnePlus N6x smartphone.
“OnePlus India continues to operate its business as usual, with all local operations on track. We urge the media to exercise restraint before amplifying unverified speculation,” said OnePlus in a statement to Financial Express Digital.
Rumours of OnePlus quitting global markets
According to the Bloomberg report, OnePlus is allegedly planning to cease operations in the United States and Europe imminently, with a global shutdown reportedly expanding to India, its largest international market, by 2027.
It is said that Oppo wants a global restructure of its multiple sub-brands across the globe, which include OnePlus and Realme. Over the years, industry analysts have discussed speculations of the blurring lines between OnePlus and Oppo, which was later confirmed after OnePlus became a sub-brand of Oppo. The latest leak, however, suggests a structural overhaul far more drastic than simple hardware sharing.
According to insider sources cited in the report, OnePlus will allegedly begin winding down its US and European operations by this year. By 2027, OnePlus is projected to exit the global market entirely, leaving it active only in its home country of China.
As part of Oppo’s restructuring efforts, each brand will have different responsibilities across various markets.
– OnePlus will retreat from the global stage to focus entirely on China.
– Realme will exit the fiercely competitive Chinese market altogether, shifting its target focus to the Nordic region and other international markets.
– Oppo will become the primary flagship brand, expanding its presence and focusing its efforts heavily on Central Europe.
OnePlus long been an Oppo sub-brand
The rumoured restructuring is seen as an effort to prevent internal cannibalisation, streamlining supply chains and cutting overhead costs wherever applicable. OnePlus and Realme share Oppo’s R&D facilities for their products, including the custom Android software, which are based on Oppo’s ColorOS.
While the implications of a global market withdrawal may seem insignificant, India has been a key market for OnePlus since its inception. Functioning as a separate brand for almost a decade, OnePlus made space for itself in the premium smartphone space with its ‘flagship killer’ strategy before diversifying into the budget and midrange segments with the Nord series devices.
More than the products, OnePlus’ success has mostly been forged on its community efforts, which positioned it as a tech-savvy alternative to Apple and Samsung.
“OnePlus established itself as a formidable challenger brand in India, gaining strong traction in both the premium and value-for-money segments. However, its strategic pivot toward the Nord series fell short of delivering the expected volume growth. This shift also resulted in a loss of ground in the premium segment to competing challenger brands,” Prabhu Ram, VP-Industry Research Group, CyberMedia Research (CMR) told Financial Express Digital.
“Subsequently, the company encountered global headwinds as rising memory and component costs compressed margins. According to CyberMedia Research (CMR) tracking data, OnePlus has recorded a double-digit decline in the Indian market across multiple recent quarters. Nevertheless, OnePlus maintains a meaningful presence in India today, and any speculation about its long-term future in the market remains premature,” he added.
For the time being, though, OnePlus’ Indian arm has confirmed that it’s here to stay and calls the rumour ‘unverified speculation’. OnePlus remains a top player in the premium smartphone space, catering to consumers seeking gaming-centric smartphones as well as tablets and accessories.