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But OnePlus’ exit comes at a time when smartphone shipments are showing sharp declines due to their persistence Memory crisis– Lack of random access memory (RAM) that eats up Data centers to Artificial intelligence boomhe has It caused a global shortage. Research firm Counterpoint on Monday He indicated 11 percent Global smartphone shipments fell year-on-year in the second quarter of 2026, the lowest level in that period in 13 years. Two companies saw growth – Apple and Samsung – while competitors like Xiaomi, Oppo and Vivo saw the biggest declines. (Vivo is part of the same group, BBK Electronics, which owns Oppo, OnePlus, and Realme.)
Last year, at the beginning of President Donald Trump’s term The tariff wasOnePlus The price increased dramatically From her Then a new smart watch From $330 to $500. In May 2026, the company raised prices on its products Latest phones In India. The company has been dealing with a huge loss of smartphone market share in the US for several years.
Nabila Bhopal, Senior Research Manager, Consumer Appliances Division at International Data CorporationHe says OnePlus has never been a flagship in the US. However, the company’s sales declined after T-Mobile dropped its partnership in 2023.
OnePlus went from 1 million smartphone shipments in the US in 2019 to just under 130,000 device shipments in 2025, representing a volume reduction of approximately 90 percent over six years. Smartphones are primarily sold through carriers in the United States, which means that phone makers that are not available in carrier stores often have a difficult time penetrating the market. Bhopal says carriers drive up to 66 percent of volume in the U.S., at least based on 2025 data. T-Mobile declined to comment on the OnePlus news.
The United States represents about 22 percent of OnePlus shipments in 2021, with similar numbers from Europe, and only 18 percent from China. But Bhopal says that by 2025, the numbers have flipped with 56% of OnePlus’ product volume coming from China, which likely explains Opp’s statement that OnePlus’ product roadmap in China is unchanged. If you add the Asia-Pacific region, this number jumps to 91%, a huge jump from 51% in 2021.
“In 2018, with the OnePlus 6, they launched what they were very proudly calling a ‘flagship killer’ at $529, with flagship specs,” Bhopal says. “Then, instead of staying at that price point, they replicated the premium market — trying to increase prices — and that made them similar to the competition.”
It’s a strategy often employed by companies with very thin margins, Bhopal says. The initial goal is to attract interest, then raise the price, which is a way to break into the market and gradually increase profitability. “But unfortunately, some brands are unable to charge a price beyond a certain point,” she says. “It was only Apple and Samsung that were able to operate very successfully.”
Chinese phone brands They are often the first to introduce new technologies (eg Silicon and carbon batteries), and although there aren’t many Chinese players in the US, OnePlus has been the most unusual. Lack of brand presence will mean less choice for consumers, and Bhopal says the market is moving more towards consolidation. OnePlus went from owning 1.8 percent of the US market in 2021 to 0.1 percent in 2025, according to Bhopal; The share of Apple and Samsung increased from 73% of the market in the same period to 80% in 2025.
“It’s unfortunate that American consumers don’t have the freedom to choose between a number of brands that are available globally, as there are some great technologies and features,” Bhopal says. “But I don’t see that landscape changing.”
OnePlus now joins a growing list of companies that have either halted operations, exited the mobile phone business, shifted their ambitions, or significantly scaled back their ambitions, including htc, LG mobile, Sony, Misoand HMD.
