Ever since he announced the merger with OPPO, many longtime fans have expressed a certain impatience towards OnePlus. The company has changed, even in terms of software, as demonstrated by the OxygenOS 12, increasingly closer to the ColorOS, and even the possible change of name to H2OOS.
But also from the hardware point of view, moving away from that more elitist identity that it had at the beginning. No more top-of-the-range suns: for some time now, the OnePlus brand has not only meant high-end but also mid-range.
The birth of the Nord series represents the biggest change for the company: the company is aiming for 25 million smartphones sold by 2023 and it seems that it can succeed. Net of those who may feel betrayed by OnePlus’ new course, the numbers are proving him right: since the Nord series has existed, in 2021 it has recorded a global increase in sales of + 257%.
During the previous year, OnePlus sold something like 10 million smartphones, a milestone celebrated by its owner Pete Lau. In recent days, Counterpoint Research analysts have shown us who sold the most smartphones during 2021. Obviously, OnePlus is still far from the top of the top 5, where brands such as Samsung, Apple, Xiaomi and also the OPPO “sisters” are stationed. is alive.
But if the discussion is limited to some specific geographic areas, the numbers of OnePlus become even more consistent. 2021 in the United States turned out to be quite profitable, with the market peaking at 3% in Q3, stabilizing at 2% in Q4. Comparing the end of 2020 and 2021, OnePlus can boast a growth of + 524%: what do we owe this huge growth to?
According to Counterpoint’s analysis, OnePlus owes it to the Nord series models, sold in synergy with T-Mobile and Metro operators in over 2,000 Walmart stores. In all this, it is almost paradoxical that in a market like the American one, historically linked to Western brands, the Chinese OnePlus and Alcatel sit above Google, stopping at 1% at the end of the ranking.