OnePlus lives on, but not as we once knew it

OnePlus lives on in India, but its global strategy shift and ColorOS move mark the end of the brand many enthusiasts once knew.

OnePlus has dominated online conversations following a wave of reports suggesting that the company was preparing to wind down its operations in the US and Europe, with speculation later extending to markets such as India. However, the company has now confirmed to Hindustan Times that its India business continues to operate as usual.

OnePlus 15, the company's latest flagship. (HT)

By Shaurya Sharma

Shaurya Sharma is the Technology Editor at Hindustan Times Digital Streams, where he oversees technology coverage across digital and social platforms. With over eight years of experience across editorial, video production, and digital media, his work focuses on smartphones, AI, consumer gadgets, and shaping audience-first content strategies for modern tech consumers.

He began his career in 2018 as a fashion cinematographer before turning his lifelong passion for technology into a profession. From spending his childhood immersed in tech magazines, video games, and the latest gadgets to covering the global consumer tech industry today, technology has remained a constant throughout his journey.

Over the years, Shaurya has worked with some of India’s leading media organisations, including CNN-News18, Sportskeeda, and Guiding Tech, where he led video initiatives that combined strong editorial storytelling with engaging visual and social-first execution.

A graduate in Journalism and Mass Communication from Manipal University, Shaurya has reviewed hundreds of products across categories including smartphones, laptops, gaming consoles, cameras, and wearables. Beyond work, he is passionate about animal welfare, environmental causes, and automobiles, particularly turbo-petrol cars

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“OnePlus India continues to operate its business as usual, with all local operations on track. We urge the media to exercise restraint before amplifying unverified speculation,” OnePlus told HT Digital.

At the same time, the company has confirmed that it will conclude new product rollouts in select global markets, including North America and Europe.

“Today, our hearts are undoubtedly heavy and mixed with emotion. As part of the proactive global strategy adjustment, OnePlus has decided to conclude new product rollouts in Europe and North America,” OnePlus said in an official community post.

For long-time OnePlus followers, the announcement marks the end of an era. Since its debut with the OnePlus One, the brand built a loyal enthusiast community by delivering flagship-grade hardware at disruptive prices. The OnePlus One itself was famously available only through an invite system, making it one of the most sought-after Android smartphones of its time. Over the years, OnePlus established itself as a favourite among power users across both India and international markets.

Circa 2025. When I got a hold of the OnePlus One in Sandstone black (after securing an invite in the first wave). (Shaurya Sharma - HT)

While the decision to pull back from North America and Europe is disappointing, it also reflects the company's broader strategic realignment. As smartphone markets mature and competition intensifies, consolidating resources around fewer regions and a unified software strategy appears to be the direction OnePlus has chosen.

For Indian consumers, however, the immediate impact appears minimal. OnePlus says its India operations remain unchanged, and its product portfolio continues to be as expansive as ever. The company recently launched the OnePlus Nord N6, its latest entry-level smartphone, and continues to sell the OnePlus 15, OnePlus 15R, OnePlus 13S, OnePlus Nord CE6, Nord CE6 Lite and Nord 6, alongside tablets, wearables and other ecosystem products. Devices such as the OnePlus Pad 4 also remain readily available in the country.

The biggest shift, however, lies in software

OnePlus has confirmed that it is merging OxygenOS with ColorOS, OPPO's primary operating system across global markets.

It goes without saying that OxygenOS has long been synonymous with the OnePlus experience. Since the OnePlus One transitioned away from CyanogenMod, OxygenOS has served as the company's flagship global software platform, while OnePlus devices in China have continued to ship with ColorOS. For many enthusiasts, OxygenOS wasn't just software, it was a defining part of what made a OnePlus phone feel distinct from the competition.

The move to ColorOS signals a much broader pivot than simply changing the user interface. It represents OnePlus' effort to consolidate software development, streamline engineering resources and align more closely with OPPO's ecosystem, giving a clearer indication of where the company sees its future.

“As part of an operational adjustment to our software strategy, OnePlus devices will update from OxygenOS to ColorOS. This software update enables us to streamline software development, accelerate update cycles to our community, improve software quality, and make better use of our shared engineering and R&D capabilities to deliver a smarter, smoother software experience,” OnePlus told HT.

The company further added:

“During the course of this software update, our commitment to fast, intuitive and user-centric experiences for OnePlus users remains unchanged. We will share more details on the rollout roadmap at a later stage.”

Current portfolio continues to sell as usual

For existing and prospective buyers in India, there is little reason to be concerned in the short term. The company's current lineup remains available, and despite recent price increases across several models, OnePlus continues to offer compelling products across segments. The OnePlus 15, even at around ₹86,000, remains among the strongest value-for-money flagship smartphones in the Indian market, while the OnePlus 15R, Nord series and Pad 4 continue to cater to buyers at different price points.

The bigger question is what this strategic consolidation means for the brand's identity in the years ahead. India now stands as one of OnePlus' most important markets, and with the company reaffirming that local operations remain firmly on track, enthusiasts will be hoping the brand continues to deliver the performance, value and user experience that made it a household name in the first place.