In a dramatic development with grave implications for the wider industry, OnePlus is reportedly on the verge of collapse amid a number of headwinds that have coalesced into a daunting operating environment.
OnePlus is contending with plummeting shipments, shuttered headquarters, terminated partnerships, and product cancellations
According to an investigation by Android Headlines that leveraged extensive interviews with current and former employees, OnePlus is now a business facing evisceration.
OnePlus sales are in a freefall
In 2024, OnePlus sales declined over 20 percent to between 13 million and 14 million units from around 17 million units in 2023.
In the same timeframe, the parent company of OnePlus, OPPO, grew by 2.8 percent.
Meanwhile, OnePlus decimated its market share in India through a combination of razor-thin retailer margins and issues with warranties, with the brand's share of the premium smartphone segment having plummeted by around 70 percent in India over the past 12 months.
In the same vein, the struggling brand's market share in its core market of China dropped from 2 percent to around 1.6 percent by the end of 2024.
With India and China accounting for 74 percent of OnePlus sales now, the brand can't afford its ongoing sales weakness in these two critical regions.
OnePlus is shuttering its headquarters and cancelling products
To top it off, OnePlus shuttered its Dallas headquarters, which housed its US operations, in March 2024. And, its Palo Alto office now houses just 15 employees who cater to the entire North America.
This comes as OnePlus has no partnership with a US carrier now, with its tie-up with T-Mobile having ended back in 2023. And, the brand's European operations have disappeared entirely.
The brand is also jettisoning upcoming projects like its Open 2 foldable phone and the 15s compact.
Back in 2022, OPPO pledged $14 billion to revive the flagging fortunes of OnePlus, going so far as to open up its own service centers and allowing the brand to sell its phones for zero profit. None of these steps has worked. And, to make matters worse, Taiwan issued an arrest warrant against the OnePlus CEO over illegal recruitments just a few days back.
At a time when OPPO has just gutted Realme, OnePlus appears primed for a slow and steady death. The brand won't disappear overnight. However, OPPO does not look inclined to give OnePlus any more resuscitation oxygen. As such, a OnePlus 16 looks more unlikely than ever.
About the author: Writing is my one incontrovertible passion. Over the past six years, he has authored over 2,200 distinct articles on financial and tech-related topics, spanning nearly 1 million words. And he has been a member of Wcctech mobile team since 2025. As an alumnus of the University of Toronto, Rotman Commerce Program, I bring nuance, in-depth knowledge, and a unique perspective to every topic that I cover. When I'm not writing, I'm traveling the world, exploring hidden confectionaries and restaurants as an aspiring food connoisseur.
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