Should You Still Buy A OnePlus Phone In India? Here Is What Is Actually Happening
· Free Press Journal
OnePlus has been quietly shutting down operations across several international markets, with its European storefronts now steering customers toward sister brand Oppo and stock drying up in the UK and the US. The company continues to operate in India, its largest market outside China, but recent developments have unsettled buyers here too. Reports of OxygenOS being discontinued in favour of Oppo's ColorOS, combined with the shutting down of OnePlus offline retail stores in India, have compounded concerns around after-sales service, software updates and the brand's long-term reliability in the country.
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Here is a proper breakdown on why the offline stores shut, what happens to updates on OnePlus phones in the future, and whether the brand is worth buying into today.
Why did OnePlus shut its offline stores in India?
According to a popular tech YouTuber Madan Gaikwad, four factors drove the decision. The first and biggest, he said, is that consumers have largely stopped buying OnePlus phones offline, with the brand's offline market share reportedly falling from around 7.2 percent in 2023 to about 1.8 percent today. The second is that offline retailers were working with thin profit margins on OnePlus units compared to online sales, an issue he said has been widely discussed within retail circles, compounded by limited offline unit availability and recurring warranty disputes at service counters. Third, he said OnePlus wants to return to a direct-to-consumer model and cut offline operating costs, a move also linked to rising component costs driven by the global memory and RAM shortage.
OnePlus Set To Exit US & European Markets This Week As Oppo Takes Over: ReportsWhat happens to OxygenOS
On the software front, there is largely no need for alarm, drawing a parallel to what happened between 2021 and 2022, when OnePlus' original OxygenOS was replaced by a version built on Oppo's Universal ColorOS Framework, with feature names differing but functionality remaining largely the same. He said new OnePlus phones are expected to launch with ColorOS branding in India going forward, a shift already in place for OnePlus phones sold in China.
Media reports have confirmed that Oppo is discontinuing OxygenOS and Realme UI globally in favour of a single ColorOS platform across Oppo, OnePlus and Realme devices, as part of a wider restructuring that narrows OnePlus's global focus to India and China. Neither OnePlus nor Oppo has officially confirmed the move. The YouTuber added that once OnePlus and Oppo software teams operate as one, update rollouts should become faster rather than slower.
OnePlus 15R Gets Yet Another Price Hike In India, Now ₹7,000 Costlier Than Its Launch PriceWhat happens to service centres and warranty claims
On after-sales support, OnePlus phones are manufactured by Oppo, and that OnePlus's service network is merging with Oppo's as well. This a net positive for users, pointing out that OnePlus previously had a limited number of independent service centres, whereas the merger gives users access to more than 600 Oppo service centres. An Oppo service centre manager, interviewed separately by another tech YouTuber, confirmed that services related to software, display issues and OnePlus's lifetime display warranty would continue to be honoured at Oppo centres, and that Oppo is also expanding its service centre footprint and adding staff to handle the additional OnePlus workload.
So should you buy a OnePlus phone right now?
OnePlus remains a premium, trusted brand in India and Indonesia even as it scales back globally. Software updates will continue uninterrupted regardless of whether the OS is branded OxygenOS or ColorOS, and that the merged service network will maintain the same warranty and support standards users expect.
The broader restructuring at OnePlus is real and well documented, with the company's European retreat, leadership exits and shrinking global product lineup pointing to a company consolidating around its strongest markets. For Indian buyers specifically, the more immediate concerns, software continuity and service access, appear to be addressed through the Oppo merger rather than left unresolved.