Two of the most popular Android manufacturers, OnePlus and Oppo, have confirmed the merger of several of their teams, including R&D, with the aim of improving some of the aspects in which they still limp, such as software support. .
It is news that OnePlus fans already saw coming. This brand was the booster that the Android market needed, with smartphones that offered high-end components at a mid-range price . Since then, others have followed in their footsteps, while OnePlus explored other markets and sectors; but this expansion has not been free.
Little by little, OnePlus has become more dependent on its ‘sister’ brands, Oppo and Realme , which belong to the same investment firm, OPLUS. Some of its models were nothing more than versions of other mobiles with a different name, such as the OnePlus 8 Pro and the Oppo Find X2 Pro.
This direction was confirmed last September, when its CEO, Pete Lau, assumed a supervisory role at OPLUS, and hinted that the future of OnePlus and Oppo was linked. Today, Lau has confirmed this strategy , announcing the merger of several of the teams of both brands into one.
As a result, OnePlus and Oppo will have the same R&D team , in addition to others dedicated to specific aspects, although Lau has not provided further details. What it has confirmed is that both brands will continue to operate independently with their own launches and events, although the freedom they will have by sharing so much staff remains to be seen.
Oppo mobiles will influence OnePlus more
Lau justifies the decision that it was necessary to solve some of the problems suffered by these brands, especially OnePlus; Specifically, it promises that the software support will be greatly improved on the OnePlus thanks to the additional resources and personnel they will gain.
Therefore, OnePlus phones should finally receive more system updates, and more stable. Its track record is not exactly good, being one of the latest in adopting new versions of Android and offering very few updates to devices already sold. With the arrival of Android 12, many mobile users like the new OnePlus Nord CE 5G wonder if they will ever enjoy it.
Although this is not confirmed, it is possible that OnePlus decides to use Oppo’s customization layer , ColorOS, which has received updates more quickly and went to Android 11 in a very short time. The biggest clue is that the Android 12 beta for OnePlus devices includes mentions of ColorOS.
The great danger for OnePlus is losing its identity , and that it will stop attracting the enthusiastic public that made it popular, if it simply launches Oppo phones under another name.
