After numerous rumors that realme would end its business in China, it has now been confirmed that it will return to the OPPO system as a sub-brand, with realme CEO Li Bingzhong in charge of the relevant business. The Taiwan side has also confirmed that the relevant integration and adjustment have been completed internally.
Prior to this, OnePlus had already returned to the OPPO system. Now that realme has also returned to the OPPO system, the two brands will target different market user groups and operate as sub-brands under the OPPO main brand, focusing on the performance market (OnePlus) and the cost-effective market (realme) respectively, while the OPPO brand will continue to focus on the high-end imaging market demand.
After returning to the OPPO brand system, realme CEO Li Bingzhong will be responsible for coordinating the management of both the realme and OnePlus sub-brands. Regarding realme brand products, in the Chinese domestic market, sales resources will be integrated with OPPO's physical channels, including customer service and related product repair resources, thereby addressing the previous issue of fewer realme after-sales service locations. Overseas markets, such as Taiwan, will remain unchanged for the time being.
The announcement of returning to the OPPO system is clearly related to the increasingly fierce competition in the mobile phone market in recent years, as well as the relatively reduced growth space. Therefore, choosing to return to the OPPO system and integrate related resources will be beneficial to the development of the mobile phone market, while also reducing the dispersion of product development resources.
However, market opinions have also raised doubts about realme's return to the OPPO system, suggesting that different brand positioning may lead to product overlap and even conflicting product design philosophies. Therefore, more product line consolidation and restructuring are expected, along with potential resource reallocation challenges. On the other hand, some believe that realme's return to the OPPO system will allow it to leverage OPPO's sales channels and resources to expand into more markets, thereby strengthening its international market development opportunities.
Overall, given the current challenging landscape of the mobile phone market, realme's decision to return to the OPPO ecosystem, while potentially facing organizational and product restructuring challenges, is expected to provide more resources for greater growth.
