All signs hint at OPPO and OnePlus leaving France (Update: OPPO exits France)

Update, July 26, 2023 (4:49 PM ET): According to a report from Frandroid, OPPO has discontinued its operations in France, despite OPPO providing statements claiming that it would stay in the country. OPPO’s phones will no longer be available for purchase in the region. Reports suggested that OPPO’s exit from France, and potentially the EU, could be linked to a patent dispute with Nokia in Germany. But as the report reveals, OPPO recently won its court battle.

Original, May 8, 2023 (2:29 PM ET): Rumors of leaving Europe have been swirling around OPPO and OnePlus (an OPPO subsidiary) for a while now. While OPPO claims it has no plans of exiting the market, its actions may suggest otherwise.

OPPO has reportedly ceased its commercial animator operations in France, according to the French outlet Frandroid. This role is described as being very important for product promotion in stores, training of sales staff, and product evangelization.

Several retailers also told the outlet that the brand is looking to sell its current inventory. Those sellers are not expecting to get shipments of new products, nor are they going to highlight those products.

One salesperson elaborated further on the subject. Here’s a Google translation of the quote:

We understood that they were leaving, because we were more trained on new products. We see the Find X coming out in China, oh no, it’s not coming out in France. We see the Renos arriving, will they be released in France? Neither. When the Find N2 Flip arrives, we are told of a store release, and then finally no, it is only available on the site.

It appears that a vast majority of commercial animators in this market work for a contractor called Atmospheres. According to the outlet, the company has furloughed all external employees working for OPPO. Atmospheres will also reportedly lose its contract with OPPO on June 30.

In a statement to 9to5Google, OPPO states that it will still be in France past June 30. However, in OPPO’s statement, the company noticeably only addresses existing users and avoids mentioning the future.

Our top priority is to continue to provide excellent service to our existing users in France, as always. Users can continue to use Oppo products, access after-sales service, receive future operating system updates, and more. Nothing changes for end users.

The rumors of OPPO and OnePlus exiting Europe started in March. However, the company insisted that it was only temporarily halting operations in Germany due to legal action by Nokia. But a recent statement suggests those intentions may not extend past 2023.