OPPO to exit France as distributor ceases operation

2023 has been a steep slalom for OPPO in Europe. In late March there were rumors that OPPO will leave four EU states, then the company denied this. Some four months later, OPPO might be leaving France for real.

A report from SamMobile references an article from French outlet Frandroid: Yang Technology, the exclusive distributor of OPPO in France, announced that “it will cease its activities”.

Earlier this year tipster Max Jambor tweeted that both OPPO and OnePlus are to withdraw from the following European countries: Netherlands, France, UK and Germany. An immediately issued statement by a OnePlus official refuted the tipster’s info and noted that “OPPO and OnePlus are committed to all the existing European markets”.

Then came May, when it was reported that the German OPPO website was still live, but had turned into a ‘ghost town’ with no new posts, information or updates. That’s on par with the fact that the OnePlus 11 did not launch in Germany because of a patent dispute between Nokia and OnePlus.

The beef between OPPO and Nokia was taken to court, where the Chinese brand actually won. A judge in the Paris Court of Justice has ruled that Nokia’s patents are considered “invalid” due to a “lack of novelty”. The trial at first instance has been won by OPPO, but most probably Nokia will appeal this Paris decision. Nevertheless, OPPO has decided to take a step back and apparently cut ties with France, while staying ‘on hold’ in Germany.

It’s been awfully quiet on OPPO’s social media in France and their Instagram account, in particular. The brand used to share a minimum of three posts per week, but for the last 9 weeks, the sum is… zero. Social media activity is not a serious activity criterion, but it’s not to be underestimated in light of recent events.

What does that mean for users?

This new state of affairs means that it will soon no longer be possible for people in France to buy OPPO smartphones straight from the official distributor, but instead will have to rely on resellers. However, there’s a statement from OPPO that their users in France will be able to access after-sales services and receive future OS updates.