What you need to know
- Oppo was forced to pull out of key European markets, such as Germany, due to patent disputes with Nokia.
- Oppo and Nokia managed to reach a deal last month after Oppo’s years-long haitus in Europe, opening the door to a return to the region.
- Now, in the backdrop of MWC Barcelona, Oppo has announced plans to return to Europe with the next generation of releases.
- Current and past-gen devices will not be made available, so buyers in Europe will have to wait for the Find X8 series.
Oppo is returning to Europe with its next generation of smartphone releases, the company told AllAboutSamsung’s Max Jambor in a statement. The news comes in the backdrop of MWC Barcelona and following Oppo’s deal with Nokia last month that resolved critical patent disputes. Those very disputes forced Oppo to pull out of the region a few years ago, and now that they’re settled, the company can make a comeback.
According to Jambor, Oppo is forming a three-year “strategic alliance” with the carrier Telefónica in Europe. Telefónica is a global cellular carrier that operates in numerous countries and regions but has a heavy presence in Europe. Oppo also says that it will specifically return to the same countries in Europe that it operated in before the patent disputes.
Oppo is the third BBK Electronics brand to return to Europe, following OnePlus and Vivio. All three brands were previously caught up in patent disputes with Nokia.
A statement from @oppo: People from all European countries that OPPO has been present before will soon get OPPO innovative products again.
OPPO will form a 3-year strategic alliance with Telefónica group, strengthening its expansion in Europe.February 26, 2024
Oppo’s deal with Nokia last month not only created a path forward for licensing the related patents but also cleared up prior litigation. As such, many expected Oppo to return to Europe, though it has not been confirmed until today.
Unfortunately, current and past-gen Oppo phones will not be making a comeback in Europe. Instead, the return will begin with the next-generation Find X8 and continue onward.
Oppo was on its way to expanding its reach well beyond the Chinese market before the disputes, which concerned 5G patents, caused the company to pull out of Europe. Now, Oppo can continue that growth in the region and globally. Though the Find X7 series was generally well-received, it has not been available globally. The Find X7 series still isn’t coming to Europe, but at least the Find X8 series will.
Notably, OnePlus has already resumed sales in Europe following the dispute’s resolution. So, if you’re looking for an Oppo phone in Europe, going with OnePlus might be your best bet.
