Will the iconic OnePlus brand cease to exist? The company denies it, but numbers and data suggest otherwise

When server Android Headlines published an extensive investigative report last week about the end of OnePlus, it sparked a wave of concern among brand fans. According to the report, OnePlus is being systematically dismantled – its US headquarters closed, teams in Europe laid off, products canceled. OnePlus responded. But not as you might expect.

A denial that denies nothing

Robin Liu, CEO of OnePlus India, made a statement on the social network X. His words sounded positive: the reports are false, the company will operate normally. But there’s a catch – Liu speaks exclusively for the Indian branch. He did not respond to direct user inquiries regarding North America and Europe on his account. And it is precisely there that the investigative report describes the greatest damage.

I wanted to address some misinformation that has been circulating about OnePlus India and its operations.
We’re operating as usual and will continue to do so.
Never Settle. pic.twitter.com/eAGA7iy3Xs

— Robin Liu (@RobinLiuOnePlus) January 21, 2026

Comments under the post reflect this. “Are you speaking for all of OnePlus, or just for India?” asks one user. “It’s hard to ignore that all statements only concern India,” adds tech creator M. Brandon Lee. Global OnePlus remains silent.

Numbers that cannot be denied

The Android Headlines investigative report is based on data from analytical firms Omdia, Canalys, TechInsights, and Counterpoint. And these are merciless. OnePlus sales dropped by more than 20% in 2024 – from approximately 17 million units to 13–14 million. Meanwhile, the parent company OPPO Group grew by 2.8%. According to Omdia, growth was “driven exclusively by the OPPO brand.”

India was supposed to be the salvation. Instead, it became a symbol of decline. In May 2024, approximately 4,500 retail stores in six states stopped selling OnePlus phones – due to warranty issues and minimal margins. Market share in the premium segment plummeted from 21% to 6% during the year. That’s a 71% drop.

Things didn’t fare better in China. At the beginning of 2024, OnePlus President Li Jie set a public goal: to exceed a 3% share. OnePlus achieved 1.6%. Li Jie later told the media that sales were “basically stable.” However, mathematics tells a different story – a drop from 2% to 1.6% is a twenty percent decline.

Closed offices, canceled products

According to the report, OnePlus closed its US headquarters in Dallas in March 2024 without announcement. What remains is fewer than 15 people in Palo Alto for all of North America. The partnership with T-Mobile ended in early 2023. The OnePlus 15 is sold in the US only unlocked – in a market where most smartphones are sold by carriers.

Europe thinned out even earlier. In 2020, OnePlus reduced its teams in France, Germany, and the UK from approximately 60 employees to fewer than 10. No press release, no explanation.

And then there are the canceled products. According to Android Headlines sources, neither the OnePlus Open 2 nor the compact flagship 15s will be released – both projects have been halted. The OnePlus 15 presentation took place via Zoom, whereas previous flagships had multi-day events with journalists from around the world.

A pattern we already know

14 billion dollars. That’s how much OPPO reportedly invested in December 2022 to save OnePlus – opening its stores, service centers, allowing sales without margins. This is not a growth investment. This is resuscitation. And it didn’t work.

Android Headlines rightly reminds us that brands like Nokia, BlackBerry, HTC, and LG went through the same scenario. Retreat from the West, consolidation in domestic markets, and eventually closure. All these brands told investors that everything was fine.

What this means for OnePlus owners

If you own a OnePlus phone, there’s no reason to panic. System updates and security patches will arrive as planned – 3–4 years of Android, 4–5 years of security patches. OPPO, as the parent company, will uphold these commitments. Your phone won’t stop working overnight.

The question is, what happens next? The investigative report doesn’t claim that OnePlus will disappear tomorrow – it claims that the brand is being systematically phased out. That decisions have already been made and are being implemented quietly, without press releases. The OnePlus 16 could be the last true successor to the “Never Settle” philosophy.

OnePlus once proved that you don’t have to be Samsung or Apple to offer flagship features. An invitation system, a community that shaped the product, specifications at half the price. If the reports are accurate, the industry is losing one of its last rebels.

Do you believe the official statement from OnePlus, or rather the investigative report?

Source: Android Headlines, Robin Liu (X)