Everything seemed to be going well for OnePlus until it wasn’t. We first started hearing rumors about OnePlus looking to leave certain markets as far back as 2023. These reports were denied, and the news of the company’s exits in these regions took a back seat, until the rumors started swirling once again in early 2026.
While there hasn’t been any official news that the brand is shuttering its business, behind the scenes, through unofficial channels, we’re getting a different story. With that said, we’re now getting news that OnePlus and Realme have reportedly merged (via 9to5Google). If this is true, it’s big news for both brands.
Things could be changing
Realme doesn’t have a presence in the US, so there’s a pretty good chance you’ve never heard of them before. The brand has been around for nearly a decade, and initially focused on offering budget-focused phones. Today, the brand offers a pretty robust lineup that consists of phones, smartwatches, tablets, TVs, and more.
What’s most important to know, though, is that Realme is an Oppo sub-brand. With that said, we can now more clearly see the connection between Realme and OnePlus. As far as the details of the merger, the report states, through translation, that OnePlus and Realme will merge their respective operations going forward.
This applies to both their global and domestic efforts. Again, nothing has been officially announced, so it’s unclear whether this is really happening or just some reports from rumors and whispers. However, if this does become reality, it will be interesting to see how business moves forward for OnePlus and Realme.
OnePlus has done a pretty good job of building up its brand, delivering great products for good prices. It’ll be an interesting year for OnePlus. While we have yet to get any new phones in the US, we did recently get the announcement of a new watch with the OnePlus Watch 4.
