OnePlus Exits U.S. Market After Eight Years of Struggle

Chinese smartphone manufacturer OnePlus has officially announced its exit from the U.S. market, ending an eight-year effort to establish itself in a space dominated by Apple and Samsung. Despite critical acclaim and strong user reception for recent models like the OnePlus 15 and the foldable OnePlus Open, the brand failed to overcome systemic barriers in the American market.

The primary challenge for OnePlus stemmed from the incompatibility of its business model with the realities of carrier-driven sales in the U.S. Over 90% of smartphones in the country are sold through telecom operators, which prioritize premium flagships tied to long-term contracts and high-tier plans. OnePlus, however, positioned itself as a ‘flagship killer’—offering high-performance devices at accessible prices without relying on carrier partnerships.

Efforts to integrate with U.S. carriers yielded limited success. T-Mobile discontinued flagship OnePlus models in 2022, retaining only budget Nord devices in its lineup. Verizon collaborated with OnePlus for just two years, from 2020 to 2021. Without carrier support, OnePlus struggled to scale sales, despite the Nord series gaining popularity in 2021. Ultimately, the company decided to refocus on markets where its price-to-performance strategy aligns more closely with consumer demand.