New Delhi: Realme is reportedly set to come back under Oppo’s umbrella, several years after it was established as an autonomous smartphone maker. A new report states that Oppo has resolved to revive Realme as a sub-brand in order to simplify the processes and cut down on the expenses with the increasing pressure in the global smartphone market.
The relocation is reported to be a larger decision to merge resources, reduce unnecessary costs, and enhance efficiency. Although Realme will allegedly be a sub-brand once again, it will still be selling smartphones under its own name, similar to what Oppo and OnePlus do currently.
Realme to operate alongside OnePlus under Oppo
According to a report by Lei Feng Network, Oppo has internally declared that Realme would be a sub-brand of the company once again. According to the sources referred to in the report, Realme and OnePlus will become closer to Oppo to establish a more distinct and differentiated market approach between the brands.
It is likely that the merger of the after-sales services of Realme with the network of Oppo will be one of the first changes after the integration. This would assist in enhancing service coverage and also cutting down on the duplication of operations in different areas.
Focus on cost efficiency and market scale
The merger is said to be timed when smartphone manufacturers are experiencing slimmer profit margins and declining worldwide demand. Oppo will simplify product creation, supply chains, and distribution channels by moving Realme closer to its main business to simplify the process.
Although the organisational change took place, the product roadmap of Realme is reported to be the same. The company will remain with its value-orientated smartphones, particularly in the low-cost and middle-income markets where the company is dominant in India, Southeast Asia, and Europe.
The report states that the co-founder and CEO of Realme, Sky Li, will manage the general sub-brand activities at Oppo. OnePlus will still have one of its leaders, OnePlus China President Jie Lie. The integration has not been mentioned in terms of finances, and no other change in leadership has been stated.