Pour one out for OnePlus, the phone maker that once aggressively challenged Apple and Samsung with “flagship killer” phones. The company has announced that, moving forward, no new products will be released in North America (U.S. and Canada) and Europe. OnePlus called the pullout in both regions a “proactive global strategy adjustment” in a community post. The company assures customers that their existing devices will “continue to receive scheduled software updates and security patches” and “support will continue in accordance with our warranty and support obligations.” Furthermore, OnePlus says that after ColorOS 17 is released, users with supported OnePlus devices can “voluntarily update” to it. While the news means less competition in what is already basically a duopoly between Apple and Samsung in the U.S., the writing for OnePlus has been on the wall. Earlier this year, Android Headlines broke the news that OnePlus would end operations in North America. OnePlus refuted the report, which itself was mired in controversy (the author had used AI to write the story). Almost six months after Android Headlines’ story, and OnePlus is officially dead in both North America and Europe.
OnePlus launched in North America to much viral buzz. Its first phone, the OnePlus One released in 2014, sold for $299 unlocked, promising a “fast and smooth” Android experience that was free of bloatware. (You have to remember that many Android phones at the time came preinstalled with carrier or third-party apps that not only ate up storage but slowed down performance.) This “clean” software quickly won the devotion of diehard Android fans.
