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I've got to be honest here. This is a video I never thought I would need to make. Today, I'm going to tell you about the confirmed news that smartphone maker OnePlus is completely exiting North America and Europe. You're hearing that right. There will no longer be OnePlus smartphones launched in the United States, Canada, the UK, all of Europe, and many more locations. That will leave India and China as the main areas of business for the company. Look, I know you have questions, and I'm going to do my best to answer them all. Let's start with the basics. Why is OnePlus doing this?
The company line is that removing itself from these markets is the responsible thing to do. That's the term they used, responsible. They also said this, "The right brand does the right thing in the right market." In other words, OnePlus is saying this is a strategic move in response to what's happening in the larger world of smartphones. Now, I know what you're thinking. You are probably thinking that's just OnePlus trying to put its best foot forward, but the real story is that Oppo told OnePlus to do this. Well, we asked about that, and OnePlus explicitly told us that the decision was not dictated to them by
Oppo. However, it also told us that the decision was not unilaterally made by OnePlus either. Reading between the lines there, it seems like this was a combination of OnePlus and Oppo working together to decide what best to do with the brand, and the conclusion they both came to was that removing OnePlus from certain markets was the right move. Now that I've said that, let me be clear that this is what OnePlus and Oppo told us. The real story could be much more complicated than they're letting on. It could also be that they're simply lying, and it really was all Oppo's decision. We don't know now, and might not ever know what really went down here. But the company line is that this was not
something that Oppo explicitly controlled. Let me also be clear that OnePlus is not completely shutting down. As I said before, China and India will still see new OnePlus releases, but they might not be the OnePlus phones we know today. I'll touch more on that in a bit, but another question you might have is what happens to the OnePlus phones that exist right now, the ones in your pocket and the ones on the store shelves. Well, let's start with the ones in your pocket or maybe even what you're watching this video on right now. OnePlus phones that are still in an active support window will continue to get software updates and upgrades, and OnePlus will still honor warranties for the time allotted
to your phone. Here's a partial list of OnePlus devices launched in the United States that will still be supported and how long that support should last. If you don't see your phone on here, that doesn't necessarily mean it's losing support. These are just US devices, so check with OnePlus directly if you want to know more about others. Now, if you've got a recent OnePlus phone that will still see several years of support, that might seem like all you need to know. However, the support you're going to receive will not be what you expect. OnePlus told us that OxygenOS will not continue for US devices.
Over the coming months, your existing OnePlus phone will be transitioned to ColorOS, which is the software we see on Oppo phones. Granted, ColorOS and OxygenOS share the same code base now and are very similar in both design and functionality, but still, the way your phone looks and works right now in the US will not be how it will be for long. Here's another list showing the US-based OnePlus devices that will likely be a transition to ColorOS based on OnePlus's stated software commitments. As before, this is not an exhaustive list, just the US products, so check with OnePlus for more
information if you don't see your device on here. Keep this all in mind if you were planning on buying a OnePlus phone at some point soon. The software you get when you take it out of the box won't won't the same in a few months. So, that brings up another important question, which is what happens to all the current stock of OnePlus devices on store shelves? OnePlus told us that it will continue to sell stock until it depletes. At the time I'm recording this, there are still OnePlus 15 and OnePlus 15 R phones available at oneplus.com in the United States. And the OnePlus Pad Go 2 tablet
is there as well. However, once those are gone, that's it. Your only choice then will be to buy from places like eBay or import them from other countries. Given all the news we've learned this week about OnePlus though, it might not be the best idea to invest in a OnePlus product right now. Unless you live in an area unaffected by this change. Existing OnePlus users should absolutely use their devices for as long as they can so you can get as much value out of them as possible. But if you're not already invested in OnePlus, now is definitely not the time to do that. On that note, if you were looking to buy something from OnePlus and don't know what to do now, there's an article in the description you should read where we
give plenty of suggestions for alternate choices. Okay, I do have a few messages from OnePlus that they wanted us to relay to fans around the world. First, OnePlus wants to thank the tech community for the trust and support they have shown the brand over the years. The company also acknowledges that OnePlus has been shaped by the community that has supported it. And here's a direct quote that's a message to all OnePlus fans. We're truly grateful to all the OnePlus fans who have supported us through this journey. Does this all seem weird to you? Because it seems weird to me.
These messages don't sound like they're coming from a company that's just shutting down operations in a few key markets. These sound like they're coming from a company that is literally ending. Well, that brings me to the next thing we need to talk about, which is what happens now? Unfortunately, I can really only speculate from this point forward, but one thing that stood out to me from all the info we gathered from a meeting we had with OnePlus and Oppo is that Oppo took the mic a few times to emphasize what's going on with its own brand. First, Oppo made it clear that it remains committed to its presence in Europe. In fact, it plans to invest more there and even expand its presence.
Obviously, Oppo has barely ever had any presence at all here in the United States, and that doesn't appear to be changing. But just because OnePlus is exiting certain markets doesn't mean Oppo is too. Oppo also told us that it intends to place greater emphasis on flagship smartphones. This makes sense as the Oppo Find X9 Pro and the Find X9 Ultra have been smash hits with the Find X9 Ultra being a very likely contender for the best Android phone of 2026. We have a video all about that if you want to check it out up here. But let's put all this info together. OnePlus is exiting some huge markets, but Oppo is not. Oppo is also going to start emphasizing its flagship portfolio.
Meanwhile, OnePlus phones are getting shifted to ColorOS. When you step back and look at all that information, it all points to one thing. Oppo very likely wants OnePlus to be its mid-range and budget brand. Remember that Oppo still makes plenty of budget-minded devices each year. It's possible though that isn't the plan going forward. Instead, Oppo might be tasking OnePlus with handling that part of the market, and then Oppo will be in charge of the big flagship launches. If this is true, it would make sense.
Oppo would become the brand synonymous with ultra high-end, super powerful Android phones, while OnePlus would continue to be associated with its flagship killer ethos, making good phones with good specs at good prices, but not making anything remotely like a premium flagship. Honestly, I have mixed feelings about this. The OnePlus 13 was easily the best phone OnePlus has ever made, and a big part of that was just how many flagship elements OnePlus took from Oppo to do it. Remember when the OnePlus 15 came out and it actually nerfed a lot of those specs? The writing was on the wall then that Oppo had come in and said, "No, no, no, no, no, no, no. You can't make phones that good." That's what it seemed like, anyway. Let
me wrap this up by answering one more question that OnePlus fans probably have, which is what happens to the existing community forums. OnePlus told us that those forums will continue to operate, and any changes to that plan will be announced on the forums themselves. So, if you visit the forums often, stay tuned as there will likely be announcements landing soon about what happens next. I just want to say that this is all really bad news, not only for the wider world of Android smartphones, but for me, personally. I was a huge OnePlus fan back in the day. Getting the OnePlus 1 was such a big moment for me, and the OnePlus 7 Pro remains my favorite Android phone of all time to this day. When OnePlus was
firing on all cylinders, it really was a force of nature, and it's truly sad to see that all come to a screeching halt. Examining how we got from there to here is a video for another day, but for now, I'd love it if OnePlus fans, both new and old, jumped down in the comments and told us what your favorite OnePlus phone is, why, and how you feel about today's news. We're all excited to hear your stories. See you all later.
