BBK Electronics-owned handset makers Oppo and OnePlus may be planning to exit major European markets, according to a post in a Chinese publication named 36Kr.com. The Chinese handset makers have halted their device sales in Germany, in the wake of a patent dispute with Nokia and now, both the brands are considering pulling out of the UK and Germany, says a post by famed leakster Max Jambor who also indicates that France and the Netherlands may also get impacted.
According to the report by 36kr.com, which quoted people familiar with the matter, Oppo is set to exit Germany and the UK. The smartphone maker may have taken the decision to exit the region owing to the high costs of sales, the report further added. BBK's Oppo and OnePlus have been plagued by significant challenges in Germany. A patent lawsuit filed by networking services provider Nokia has banned both OnePlus and Oppo phones in Germany in August 2022.
The report also added that several macroeconomic factors, including inflation, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and other factors have forced Oppo to withdraw its business from Europe. Nokia alleged that BBK-electronics-owned handset makers have used its patented technology for processing 5G signals without paying for a license.
According to famed tipster Max Jambor, (@MaxJmb) both handset makers are pulling out of Europe, starting from Germany, France, the Netherlands and the UK. "I can confirm: OPPO and OnePlus are pulling out of Europe. First to leave are Germany, UK, France and Netherlands," Jambor tweeted.
"Little update: right now only the countries listed will close down. Not Europe entirely. Will give another update in a while," Jambor added.
"Update: There will be an official statement from OPPO/OnePlus soon! Right now only Germany, France, UK and Netherlands will close down. For the rest of Europe it is unknown at this point," Jambor noted.
It should be noted that despite having a good presence in India, both Oppo and OnePlus do not have a big market share in Europe, as per data from Counterpoint Research. Rivals Apple, Samsung and Xiaomi dominated Europe's smartphone market in the third quarter last year.