In a roundtable discussion, OnePlus founder Pete Lau also teased that the company is working on software for foldable phones.
OnePlus intends to release its OnePlus 10 Pro flagship phone in North America in March, CEO Pete Lau said at a roundtable last week. While the now “independent sub-brand of Oppo” decided on a China-first rollout for the 10 Pro in January, that shouldn’t be seen as a step back from the US or global markets, according to Lau. “There is no such thing as drawing back forces from North America or a retreat from North America,” Lau said. “Our focus for North America remains as strong as ever and we will only continue to grow… We are going to deepen our partnerships with existing carriers and expand existing carrier relationships. OnePlus is dedicated to creating global products that cater to the needs of global users, and this will remain the original aspiration of our brand.” The company has indeed been growing in the US on the backs of its midrange Nord phone line, which has seen double-digit market share at MetroPCS from time to time, according to studies from Wave7 Research. Lau said that OnePlus shipped 11 million phones in 2021, and 10 million Nords in two years—that’s way up from the 2.5 million total phones the company shipped in 2016, according to Statista. But OnePlus has seen key non-China-based decision makers depart over the past two years, leading some fans to believe it’s lost a certain global vibe (see the like count on my Tweet below). OnePlus cofounder Carl Pei was the most notable departure, leaving in 2020 to start earbud company Nothing. Chief marketing officer Kyle Kiang, an American who had been with the company since 2015, left in March 2021.
