GoKawiilBrady Snyder / Android Authority
After over a decade, OnePlus is no more. Well, at least in North America and Europe, that is. OnePlus was always a brand for enthusiasts first and foremost, though it certainly did its best to expand beyond this with early efforts to work with carriers like T-Mobile.
The OPPO-owned company’s decision to narrow its focus to the Asian market has been framed as part of a broader global strategy that will reallocate resources to markets where it can have the greatest impact. These kinds of vague explanations really say very little, but the gist is that the US (and European) market became more trouble than it was worth.
OnePlus’ exit might be sad news for fans in Europe, but for the US, it means our already extremely limited smartphone market has just shrunk even further. These days, American buyers pretty much have Apple, Samsung, Google, Motorola, and a smattering of (relatively) lesser-known brands like Blu and TCL.
This makes me worry: could Nothing be next?
Will Nothing end up following OnePlus out of the US market? 25 votes Yes, small players like this will all fold eventually. 48 % Not sure, it could happen but I hope it doesn't. 48 % No, Nothing's strategy should allow it to keep afloat. 4 % Other (Let us know in the comments) 0 %
How Nothing’s situation feels similar to OnePlus
Nothing might be a fun, enthusiast-focused brand known in circles like Android Authority, but it’s far from mainstream.
A smaller player has to be more careful of the moves it makes, and we’ve already seen Nothing become fairly selective about what actually makes it to the US. For example, the Nothing 4a and 4b are not available in the US at all. Even the models that do exist here often have incomplete carrier support.
This situation is pretty familiar to anyone who followed OnePlus in the past. In fact, there are many ways in which Nothing’s situation feels similar.
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