Recently, there was a report claiming that Chinese smartphone manufacturer OnePlus is likely to shut down its services in India. However, the company immediately and strongly denied these claims, calling them “misinformation” and “unverified”. In a social media post, OnePlus India CEO Robin Liu clarified that such rumours are unverified. “We’re operating as usual and will continue to do so,” he said.
While OnePlus has rejected the shutdown rumours, market experts believe the brand is going through a difficult phase in India. Once a strong name in the premium smartphone segment, OnePlus is now struggling due to falling market share, product issues, and weak market strategy. Industry data shows that OnePlus smartphone shipments fell by over 20% in 2024, dropping from 17 million units to 13–14 million units. During the same period, its parent company, Oppo Group, recorded a growth of 2.8%.
What behind OnePlus’s fall from glory
According to Tarun Pathak, Research Director at Counterpoint Research, OnePlus phones remain competitive, but several missteps have hurt the brand. “The green line display issue, problems with camera performance, and OxygenOS-related concerns pushed many users away. India’s premium smartphone market is becoming more crowded, and OnePlus needs to strengthen its retail presence and after-sales service, especially to attract younger consumers,” said Pathak. OnePlus entered the Indian market in December 2014 and quickly gained popularity by offering premium smartphones at lower prices than rivals like Apple and Samsung. The brand became so popular that customers initially needed an invite to buy a phone. By 2018, OnePlus had established itself as a leading premium smartphone brand.
In 2020, the company launched the Nord series, which brought more affordable phones to the market and helped expand its user base. Today, OnePlus also sells smart TVs, tablets, and audio products.
However, the problems began with the OnePlus 8 series. Many users reported a permanent green line appearing on their phone screens after software updates. While similar issues affected other brands, OnePlus became strongly associated with the problem. The company was slow to acknowledge it, leaving customers to deal with expensive screen repairs. In late 2024, OnePlus announced a lifetime screen warranty in India to fix the issue for free. But by then, many frustrated users had already switched to brands like Apple and Samsung.
Another major setback came in 2021 when OnePlus merged its popular OxygenOS with Oppo’s ColorOS. OxygenOS was known for its clean, fast, near-stock Android experience. After the merger, users complained of bugs, slower performance, and unwanted apps. In 2024, OnePlus faced further trouble when over 4,500 retail stores in South and West India reportedly stopped selling its phones. Retailers claimed they earned very little profit and received poor support for faulty devices. Negative feedback from local shop owners further damaged the brand’s image.
Faisal Kawoosa, founder of Techarc, said OnePlus saw a decline in product quality from the OnePlus 8 to the OnePlus 12 series, although newer models show signs of improvement. He also noted that the launch of the Nord series weakened OnePlus’s premium positioning.