Skip to main content

OnePlus and Oppo are working together now, promise only positive changes

OnePlus has announced it will integrate parts of the company with fellow smartphone brand Oppo, according to a post made by CEO Pete Lau on the official OnePlus forum. It comes after Lau began to oversee Oppo’s product strategy in addition to his OnePlus duties in 2020, and although it’s not described as a merger, there are aspects that sound like it may be that in all but name.

What do we know at the moment? It sounds positive. Lau writes the integration of the two companies will mean both have more resources to build better products, be more efficient, and provide faster software updates too. The OnePlus name will remain, and Lau states the company will continue to operate independently, complete with its own device release schedule. Perhaps more intriguingly, the post teases working with Oppo may help OnePlus launch a wider choice of devices in the future.

Andy Boxall/Digital Trends

OnePlus is well-known internationally, but Oppo will be less recognizable to those outside China, the U.K., and parts of Europe where it has made a significant impact over the past few years. It recently received plenty of attention for the Find X3 Pro, which makes excellent use of its triple camera system, producing consistent results regardless of which one is used.

The integration — let’s not call it a merger — may not surprise many industry watchers though. Both Oppo and OnePlus, along with Vivo, Realme, and IQOO, are part of the BBK Electronics empire, and are technically all related already. OnePlus was co-founded by Pete Lau and Carl Pei, and both worked at Oppo right before starting the new company. There are some similarities in the technology used in both Oppo and OnePlus phones too, including advancements made in fast charging.

What does this all mean for OnePlus fans? OnePlus has a significant following, its smartphones are well regarded, and its new models are usually highly anticipated. There’s nothing in Lau’s statement to suggest anything will change this. OnePlus has embarked on a multiyear journey with Hasselblad recently, and we are expecting more from the partnership in the future, regardless of the not-a-merger with Oppo.

How about software? In March it was announced the OnePlus 9 and OnePlus 9 Pro sold in China would use Oppo’s ColorOS software, and at the same time, a commitment to use OxygenOS on global phones was made. This is good news, as OxygenOS offers a superior user experience to ColorOS. OnePlus launched the Nord CE 5G earlier this week, and the OnePlus 9 series remains as its flagship range. Digital Trends has contacted Oppo for comment on the integration, and we will update here when we hear back.

Editors' Recommendations

Andy Boxall
Senior Mobile Writer
Andy is a Senior Writer at Digital Trends, where he concentrates on mobile technology, a subject he has written about for…
OnePlus just made an awkward mistake with the OnePlus 12R
Someone holding the OnePlus 12R, showing the back of the phone.

OnePlus has made a pretty major flub regarding the storage hardware of the OnePlus 12R. The 12R is already one of 2024's best smartphones, but it is now receiving quite some heated flak for something OnePlus got wrong. The company advertised that the OnePlus 12R came equipped with a UFS 4.0 storage module when, in reality, it relies on the older and slower UFS 3.1 standard.

“The OnePlus 12R also still features all the new Trinity Engine features we announced at launch, like launching apps faster than ever and keeping applications locked open for up to 72 hours, and was fully tested using UFS 3.1 storage,” OnePlus President and Chief Operating Officer Kinder Liu said in an official statement.

Read more
Is the OnePlus 12 waterproof?
OnePlus 12 Flowy Emerald laying flat on astroturf.

The OnePlus 12 is considered the "new Android device to beat" this year -- and with good reason. This impressive smartphone boasts a 6.8-inch LTPO AMOLED display with a resolution of 1440 x 3168 pixels at 510 psi and a refresh rate of 120Hz, and it supports both Dolby Vision and HDR10+. It also offers a battery life that lasts up to two days between charges, features a well-received Hasselblad camera system, and much more.

When buying a new smartphone, it's important to consider its durability against accidental drops and water resistance, as these factors affect its longevity. While smartphones are improving in these areas, some models are more robust than others. Thankfully, most smartphones now come with an Ingress Protection (IP) code that indicates their resistance to water and other particles, making it easier to compare different models. So, how does the OnePlus 12 fare in this regard?
Is the OnePlus 12 waterproof?

Read more
The OnePlus 12 has one big advantage over Samsung and Apple
Gray Samsung Galaxy S24 (left), Rose Gold Google Pixel 8, Flowy Emerald OnePlus 12, Green iPhone 15, Titanium Gray iPhone 15 Pro on a pink and red heart blanket.

Samsung Galaxy S24 (left), Google Pixel 8, OnePlus 12, iPhone 15, and iPhone 15 Pro. Christine Romero-Chan / Digital Trends

When you look at smartphones these days, the selection has grown a bit … stale, to say the least. You’ll see phones from top brands like Samsung, Apple, and even Google, but most options look the same — they’re glass slabs.

Read more