The Chinese phone manufacturer Oppo is once again betting on the European market. Countries in which Oppo has ceased operations in recent years are also back on the priority list.

Oppo is targeting Europe with new courage. All European countries where the Chinese phone maker was previously present will be affected again. A collaboration with Spain’s Telefónica over a period of at least three years is intended to support these ongoing European ambitions. This is good news for Oppo fanatics: the brand has never announced its departure seven years after its first steps in the EU, but the region seems to be losing importance in recent years.

From a good start to a patent dispute

That wasn’t easy, even though Oppo got off to a good start back then. Four years ago the brand landed in Belgium with great enthusiasm and great ambitions. The brand was able to gain a lot of popularity in a short period of time and scored highly in our reviews, especially with the Oppo Find X5 in 2022.

Then suddenly, and perhaps out of necessity, things quieted down: a patent dispute with Nokia restricted the sale of Oppo cell phones. For example, Oppo could no longer sell smartphones in Germany. In 2023, the complete withdrawal from France followed the insolvency of the importer there. The outcome of the legal dispute in Germany seemed to hang like a dark cloud over Oppo’s European ambitions.

On the shelves without fear

However, the patent dispute between Oppo and Nokia has been resolved since the end of January. This also removes the uncertainty for Oppo, which, after a robust marketing campaign, no longer has to worry about new expensive devices disappearing from European shelves. It is therefore important that Oppo explains its European ambitions at MWC. It shows that the brand will continue to offer an interesting alternative to other smartphone manufacturers in the foreseeable future.

It is unclear whether Oppo will resume its direct presence in all European countries. In France, for example, new investments would be necessary. Oppo is still very active in our country and in the Netherlands, both under its own name and through its subsidiary brand OnePlus.

Oppo will have a limited presence at MWC in Barcelona this year. The phone maker will unveil a new prototype of its XR glasses: the Oppo Air Glass 3. Oppo also hints at bringing its own generative AI capabilities to the European market.