Reports emerging from Chinese social media are claiming that OnePlus and Realme, two of the most prominent smartphone brands under the Oppo-BBK group umbrella, are in the process of merging their global and domestic operations under a newly formed combined business unit. The report was originally shared by the well-known Chinese insider Digital Chat Station on the microblogging platform Weibo, and was subsequently picked up by technology publications including 9to5Google, though neither OnePlus nor Realme has issued any official statement confirming the development.
According to the report, OnePlus and Realme have officially joined forces, with the two smartphone brands of the BBK group merging their global and domestic activities under a new sub-product centre. The leadership of the new business unit is reportedly to be taken over by Li Jie, the current China president of OnePlus, who will report to OnePlus co-founder Pete Lau. Former Realme vice president Wang Wei is said to be taking on the position of deputy general manager of the combined unit. The marketing and customer service departments for both brands are also reportedly being merged, with another report from the Telegram channel Tech and Leaks Zone suggesting that the newly merged teams will place additional focus on reusing product lines across the two brands.
The restructuring, if confirmed, would represent a significant consolidation within the Oppo group’s sub-brand architecture. After years of largely independent operation, OnePlus has been a sub-brand of Oppo for several years, while Realme, also a separate business unit for a time, was integrated into Oppo earlier this year. A merger of the two sub-brands is likely to lead to more efficient management and better utilisation of resources within the Oppo group while reducing costs. Early evidence of product line consolidation is already visible: the recently and quietly introduced OnePlus Watch 4 is reportedly almost identical to the Oppo Watch X3, suggesting that hardware sharing between brands within the group has already begun ahead of any formal organisational announcement. The implications for OnePlus’ global presence, particularly in Europe where the company has been reviewing its strategy and reducing headcount, remain unclear, though the consolidation narrative does little to dispel concerns that the brand may be pulling back from markets outside of China.
Follow the SPIN IDG WhatsApp Channel for updates across the Smart Pakistan Insights Network covering all of Pakistan’s technology ecosystem.
