OnePlus sees huge growth in EU, doesn't see global chip shortage affecting it

When it comes to sales figures and other bits of hard data, OnePlus is usually very secretive. But in an interview with Android Authority, Tuomas Lampén, Head of Strategy at OnePlus Europe, divulged some numbers related to growth in the region.

According to Lampén, the company saw a sales growth of 388% in the EU during Q1 2021 compared to Q1 2020. There was also a 286% rise in revenue during that same period. Lampén pointed out that 65% of its overall revenue in Q1 2021 is attributable to its flagship smartphones. This would include the latest OnePlus 9 series, but since those phones only landed at the end of March, it’s likely the OnePlus 8 series continued success helped out quite a bit.

Related: OnePlus phones: A history of the company’s entire lineup so far

Lampén also admitted the ongoing global chip shortage isn’t likely to affect OnePlus, at least not in the EU. “We have extraordinary relationships with our partners,” Lampén said, referring to Qualcomm and other hardware suppliers. “This allows us to do very good planning and forecasting of demand, which allows us to plan out a stable supply of devices into Europe,” he said.

When Android Authority asked about future device launches this year, Lampén said OnePlus has “a strong supply” of components. “I don’t see any big issues for us in Europe,” he said.

What about what’s NOT in Europe?

Notably, several OnePlus products have no presence in Europe, including the OnePlus 9R shown above. The company’s line of televisions and its fitness tracker also are MIA in the region. Lampén admitted those devices don’t fit into the company’s European strategy for now.

“We have a OnePlus TV at the office and I would really love one,” Lampén said with a chuckle, admitting even he can’t get some region-exclusive products. He explained OnePlus usually likes to start small, listen to feedback from consumers, and then take that feedback to heart to help create a future strategy.

“We are going into more categories and kind of building this ecosystem of OnePlus devices,” he said. “There’s obviously a growing demand in many markets for these products. We just need to assess that and decide how or when is the right time and right way to bring different products to different markets. The strategy has been working for us pretty well that we kind of test certain elements in different areas and then expand, slowly but surely.”

OnePlus pricing: No big changes planned

Finally, Android Authority asked about future pricing of OnePlus phones. Right now, the company has a wide gamut of pricing options, but there’s still plenty of room for expansion into the lower range (sub-$200) and the ultra-premium segment.

“For the low end,” Lampén said, “I think it comes down to what makes sense without compromising the OnePlus experience. We have to be able to have a product that is performing on the level that we and our community expects.”

On the higher end, though, the company is trying to stay as competitive as possible. “We don’t have a device in every single price point,” Lampén said. “But for most of our devices we have multiple memory options, so that kind of covers the missing price points. I think there were expectations from our community members that now that we’re partnering with Hasselblad that the price would go up into the four digits range, but I’m happy we’ve been able to keep the price levels that make sense and make us very competitive.”

The company’s latest Pro-level phone starts at $969, while its more affordable sibling starts at $729.