Tushar Mehta / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Reddit users report that OnePlus 15 and 15R display units are being removed from Best Buy locations and replaced by Nothing phones.
- The retail shift follows executive turnover in India and layoffs in Europe, adding fuel to the rumors of a global scale-back.
- OnePlus North America had previously affirmed that it is still operating and providing full support to users.
We’ve been hearing rumors about OnePlus’ fate for a while now. Wild rumors claimed that the company could scale back or even shut down its global operations. The dominoes started falling: OnePlus India underwent major changes with its CEO, followed by layoffs in Europe. Now it’s US on the line, with OnePlus phones disappearing from local Best Buy shelves.
Reddit user Exodia101 noticed that their local Best Buy had removed all OnePlus phones from the store’s display areas. Previously, the OnePlus 15 and OnePlus 15R were displayed on shelves, but they have since been replaced with Nothing phones.
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My colleague Stephen Schenck checked out his local Walmart, and indeed, there were no OnePlus phones on display. There was also a big empty space in the phone section. An associate confirmed that OnePlus devices were recently removed from this space.
Stephen Schenck / Android Authority
Curiously, OnePlus phones are still available for purchase on Walmart’s website, and they also show up as available for in-store pickup at the above store. Still, being absent from retail store shelves is a big deal, as the average consumer will not be aware of the company’s existence and its product portfolio, let alone be enticed to purchase a phone that competes with the iPhone/Galaxy in their pocket.
Other users corroborated the same, with some suggesting that store displays did a poor job of selling the phones. For instance, Reddit user PoisonWaffle3 notes that Walmart’s display shelf for the OnePlus 15 did not list the battery capacity shown on the display card, which is one of the phone’s big selling points. Reddit user FenderBass1994 reports that their local Best Buy in Southern California had only a OnePlus 15R on display, and even that demo unit wasn’t powered on for customers to experience.
Earlier in the year, OnePlus shared the following statement on rumors of its shutdown:
OnePlus North America continues to operate, with full guarantee of users’ after-sales support, software updates, and rights commitments.
We’ve reached out to OnePlus for a new statement. We’ll update this article when we hear back from the company.
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