OnePlus To 'further Integrate' With OPPO, But Retain Oxygen OS, Independence

OnePlus will retain its Oxygen OS mobile operating system, but further integrate with OPPO, a sister brand owned by BBK Electronics.

Pete Lau, CEO of OnePlus, said on the smartphone maker's community site that it will "further integrate" its business with OPPO, but operate independently. Responding to a question, OnePlus said Oxygen OS will remain. "OxygenOS will remain the operating system for global OnePlus devices outside of the China market," said the company.

Lau said:

Last year I took on some additional responsibilities to oversee product strategy for both OnePlus and OPPO. Since then, we have integrated a number of our teams together with OPPO to better streamline our operations and capitalize on additional shared resources. After seeing positive impact from those changes, we've decided to further integrate our organization with OPPO.

It's unclear what exactly that integration will mean, but OnePlus will operate independently and likely remain a mid-tier and budget smartphone brand. These arrangements aren't uncommon in other industries. For instance, Hyundai and Kia share components and other platforms, but have distinct designs and brands. 

OnePlus has been gaining traction among US and UK carriers, but remains a smaller player. 

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Ultimately, OnePlus will likely be another nameplate in the BBK Electronics stable. BBK Electronics is the parent company of Oppo, Vivo, OnePlus and Realme.

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