Oppo cuts staff following OnePlus merger, affecting ColorOS team

Three months on from the announcement of OnePlus’ merger with Oppo, the latter is cutting staff numbers as efforts to expand in markets like Europe and India haven’t gone according to plan.

Oppo expanded too quickly into new markets and segments

Bloomberg reports that Oppo is cutting around 20% of staff across several software and device teams to consolidate resources with sub-brand OnePlus. The merger is said to have created “redundant positions” within the newly combined companies.

The move hasn’t impacted Oppo’s teams for smartphone R&D or its overseas sales positions. However, it has affected the team behind ColorOS, Oppo’s custom user interface for Android.

People familiar with the matter claim that an Internet of Things division responsible for the development of smartwatches and wireless earbuds, among other things, has also seen its stuff numbers cut.

Oppo’s rapid expansion into certain markets like India and Europe, as well as its focus on the premium segment and the competition from Apple and Xiaomi, also played a role in the decision to cut staff.

The same can be said about its efforts in the wearables segment, where despite releasing a few generations of smartwatches it has failed to make an impact like Xiaomi, Samsung, and Apple.

Overall, the brand hired too many people in a short space of time and needs to retreat a little. Only time will tell whether these cuts have an impact on the number of future wearable products, as well as the quality of software, from Oppo and OnePlus.