Realme to become OPPO sub-brand as company restructures smartphone business: report

Chinese smartphone maker Realme is set to become a formal sub-brand of OPPO. According to a report by Reuters, Realme has confirmed that it is being integrated into OPPO in a move aimed at pooling resources, cutting costs, and streamlining internal operations. Both brands are part of BBK Electronics, which also owns Vivo and OnePlus.

OPPO calls it a brand strategy update, according to a report by Lei Feng Network. OPPO remains the main brand, while OnePlus and Realme act as separate sub-brands for different customer groups. Realme founder and CEO Sky Li will manage the sub-brands, and OnePlus will keep its own leader in China, Li Jie.

For customers, the biggest change may come in service. Realme will use OPPO’s full after-sales network, which could mean more service centres and faster repairs, especially in places like India. OPPO says Realme’s product plans stay the same, with no delays to upcoming releases. The Realme Neo 8 is still coming to China later this month.

Realme started in 2018 as an OPPO offshoot and built its name with low prices, modern designs, and phones packed with features. It competes directly with Xiaomi, iQOO, and Samsung in mid-range and budget markets, particularly in India and Southeast Asia, focusing on value and fast product launches. This move shows OPPO responding to tight global smartphone profits. OPPO could be wanting to cut internal overlap while keeping the brands different for various buyers.

In India, shoppers may not see changes on store shelves right away. Realme phones should keep their prices and features, and OPPO’s service network may even help Realme users. People buying Realme phones don’t need to worry about cancellations or big shifts. The key question is whether closer ties will improve software updates over time, which Indian buyers now value as much as hardware specs.