What went wrong with OnePlus?

OnePlus was once synonymous with a powerful phone at an affordable price. Thanks to an innovative invite system and a strong community of enthusiasts, it gained loyal fans. Gradually, however, it began to make mistakes that brought it to the brink of irrelevance.

Loss of first-mover advantage

The first OnePlus models offered top-tier hardware at half the price of competitors. But this "flagship killer" concept was soon copied by brands like Xiaomi and Realme. OnePlus was no longer unique and lost its lead.

Expansion problems

The invite system certainly built hype, but it hindered mass sales. Partnerships with US carriers were weak, and market share never exceeded 1%. Without strong partnerships, OnePlus couldn't compete with Apple and Samsung.

From "Never Settle" to mediocrity

The motto "Never Settle" promised the best specs at a low price. To keep costs down, OnePlus cut corners on cameras, water resistance, and wireless charging. Later, prices climbed to $1000, but quality lagged behind. The partnership with Hasselblad didn't help – the software wasn't polished.

Departure of Carl Pei and merger with Oppo

The departure of co-founder Carl Pei in 2020 was a turning point. OnePlus merged with Oppo, and OxygenOS lost its purity – it turned into a fork of ColorOS. Fans who loved the clean interface were disappointed.

Too many models

Instead of two carefully crafted phones a year, OnePlus started releasing dozens of models: Pro, T, R, Nord, Nord CE, etc. This diluted the brand, and customers lost track.

Quiet end?

In recent months, OnePlus has been scaling back operations outside China. The company is silent, but evidence of downsizing is clear. Coupled with issues with OTA updates and support, OnePlus is slowly fading from the scene.

A brand that once changed the market is now fighting for survival. The question remains whether it still has a chance for a comeback.