On January 29, 2024, OnePlus returned to the German market and launched six smartphones, including the foldable OnePlus Open. Days before the company's return to Germany, its parent company Oppo reached a global 5G patent cross-licensing agreement with Finland's Nokia, ending a protracted legal dispute spanning 12 countries. This is OnePlus' first return to the German smartphone market after a hiatus of nearly 18 months.
According to the official website, OnePlus brought back six smartphones to Germany on January 29, 2024, including the foldable OnePlus Open, and also began pre-selling the latest OnePlus 12 and OnePlus 12R phones.
Previously, OnePlus phones only offered a limited number of accessories on their Germany**, such as wireless earbuds.
The company's comeback in Germany comes at a time when the global smartphone market is showing signs of recovery after a long slump, with technology research firm IDC expecting the industry to grow by 38%。
Anthony Scarsella, research director of IDC's Worldwide Mobile** Quarterly Tracker Group, said in a recent report that 5G remains a bright spot for the entire market despite another downturn in the smartphone market in 2024. IDC expects global 5G smartphone shipments to grow 20% in 2024, up from 11% in 2023.
Chinese smartphone manufacturers are also looking for sales growth outside of their home market, which is the largest market in the mobile phone industry, and the mobile phone war is intensifying in the local market.
OnePlus phones return to the German market after OPPO and Nokia signed a global patent cross-licensing agreement that covers standard essential patents for 5G and other cellular communication technologies. OPPO will pay royalties to Nokia in accordance with the agreed rates and settlement arrangements. The agreement enables OPPO and Nokia to resolve their pending patent litigation in all jurisdictions. The specific terms of the agreement between the parties are confidential.
It is reported that after OPPO lost a patent infringement lawsuit in Germany to Nokia, OnePlus stopped selling smartphones in Germany in August 2022. The ruling by the German District Court in Mannheim effectively prohibits OPPO from selling its smartphones and certain OnePlus products in Germany.
Founded in 2013 by CEO Liu Zuohu and a group of OPPO employees, OnePlus has become popular in the Western market for its high-end smartphones that cost less than Apple's iPhone or Samsung's Android counterparts.
While OnePlus phones are resuming sales of smartphones in Germany, OPPO has yet to reopen business in Germany. The local German authorities** still show that there is no product information available.
Oppo is still dealing with legal challenges in Germany, with a German court ruling at the end of December 2023 that Oppo had infringed a patent from Interdigital, a U.S. wireless and mobile technology company, which was granted an injunction against Oppo.
In the face of fierce competition from other Android phone companies, OPPO is under pressure to clean up patent disputes. IDC data shows that OPPO is the world's fourth largest smartphone manufacturer in 2023, with shipments in 2023 falling by 9% year-on-year9% for 10.3 billion units.
Proofread by Zhao Yue).