Updated
Updated · WIRED · Jul 16
OnePlus Shifts Devices to ColorOS After 90% US Shipment Drop and Global Layoffs
Updated
Updated · WIRED · Jul 16

OnePlus Shifts Devices to ColorOS After 90% US Shipment Drop and Global Layoffs

2 articles · Updated · WIRED · Jul 16

Summary

  • OnePlus devices will transition to Oppo’s ColorOS in coming months, with users able to roll back to OxygenOS but likely forgo future updates.
  • That software shift lands as OnePlus cuts staff across regions, moved many Europe employees to Oppo or Realme, and eliminated its New York office between March and June.
  • Oppo said it is consolidating resources and sharpening global product strategy, while only confirming that OnePlus’ China roadmap remains unchanged and leaving North America, Europe and India plans unclear.
  • An 11% second-quarter global smartphone shipment decline and OnePlus’ own collapse in the US — from 1 million units in 2019 to under 130,000 in 2025 — help explain the retrenchment.
  • By 2025, China accounted for 56% of OnePlus volume and Asia Pacific 91%, underscoring a broader market consolidation that has strengthened Apple and Samsung.

Insights

With OnePlus retreating, is the 'flagship-killer' phone officially dead in America, leaving only premium choices from Apple and Samsung?
How did the tech industry's AI gold rush lead to the downfall of a fan-favorite smartphone brand in the West?