What Does The OnePlus And OPPO Merger mean For Users?
Chinese electronics manufacturer OnePlus announced it was merging with OPPO, another Chinese electronics manufacturer in June 2021:
And a OnePlus and OPPO merger always seemed likely after the two companies unified Research and Development teams back in January 2021 – not to mention the fact they are owned by the same parent company, BKK Electronics:
BKK Electronics is a private multinational conglomerate based in China. And it also owns other big-name smartphone brands like Vivo and Realme.
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The Disruptive Smartphone Brand
Both of the co-founders of OnePlus, Pete Lau and Carl Pei, worked at OPPO before starting the disruptive smartphone brand, OnePlus:
And disruptive it was. OnePlus famously started as a ‘Flagship Killer’, as it was known for offering amazing hardware at really competitive prices. However, over the last few years, OnePlus has grown into a more conventional mobile phone company.
Regardless of this transition, OnePlus had amassed a very loyal and dedicated fan base. In fact, OnePlus was famously known not to advertise their phones but rather to hold community events to promote their upcoming devices.
This branding strategy paid off because OnePlus is now known for its classy devices. And one of the things that set’s OnePlus apart is its infamous OxygenOS.
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The Future Of OxygenOS?
OxygenOS is a custom operating system based on the Android OS, but it was only on OnePlus devices. The operating system is best known for its minimalist design.
However, this exclusivity is over according to OnePlus CEO Pete Lau. According to his announcement regarding the merger, both the brands, OnePlus and OPPO are deeply integrated now.
The reasoning given for the merger is to pool both OPPO and OnePlus resources to develop better products.
Not only that, but OnePlus will also merge Oxygen OS with Oppos ColorOS:
According to Lau, this will enable them to make more efficient and streamlined processes. Allowing to bring faster and more stable software updates.
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What About OnePlus Users?
Lau has assured OnePlus fans in his blog post that even though OnePlus now technically comes under OPPO. They will still operate independently and release their own products and organize their own community events. All of this will be separate from Oppo’s branding.
This announcement has understandably left a lot of OnePlus fans confused as the merger take away the exclusivity OnePlus once had. Which was a major selling point.
OnePlus fans were drawn not only to their devices but the Ecosystem that OnePlus had created. And it was not just limited to Phones. OnePlus had several other products like smartwatches, wireless headphones, and even smart TVs:
All of this tied into the exclusive OnePlus and OxygenOS brand that fans had come to adore. But with this merger, fans are skeptical if OnePlus will remain the same.
OnePlus And OPPO Merger Conclusion
Regardless of what fans think, the OnePlus And OPPO Merger is obviously a great business decision:
OnePlus will get the resources to scale into an even larger brand, while OPPO can tap into the formula that made OnePlus a global phenomenon these past few years.
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