According to reports, Chinese-made OnePlus smartphones are being blocked in Russia. In addition to this, Mobiltelefon editor-in-chief, Evgeny Makarov, revealed that Chinese OnePlus 11 smartphones purchased outside of China are also being blocked, losing the ability to make calls.
Makarov went on to state that Oppo, the parent company of OnePlus, has made a decision to completely kill off the OnePlus brand. This action is believed to be the reason behind the block. It remains unclear why Oppo has decided to take this course of action.
OnePlus has since contacted Oppo’s Russian representation to address the situation. However, they were told that OnePlus is not officially represented in the Russian market and therefore, they recommended that Makarov contact the place of purchase, which is in China.
The OnePlus brand has been known for its high-quality smartphones, which offer a range of features, including high-end camera systems, fast charging, and top-of-the-line hardware. The company has also made a name for itself by providing customers with quality smartphones at an affordable price. The sudden block of the brand’s smartphones in Russia is concerning for its users and may result in a loss of consumer trust.
This incident highlights the importance of ensuring that devices purchased outside of one’s home country are compatible and authorized for use in the intended location. Additionally, it also raises questions regarding the responsibility of smartphone manufacturers to ensure that their devices are not blocked in other countries without legitimate reasons.
It was soon discovered that the regional lock is activated only when using SIM cards from India, Italy, Russia, or Brazil in Chinese OnePlus models. According to experts, the problem may not only affect OnePlus smartphones, but also Oppo and Realme, which are part of the BBK holding company. However, this information has not yet been confirmed by Russian representatives.
It is believed that the solution may be to reflash devices from Chinese firmware to global firmware. For example, OnePlus smartphones for the Chinese market are supplied with ColorOS firmware, while models for the international market run on OxygenOS. This would allow the affected devices to be used with a wider range of SIM cards, including those from the countries currently experiencing the regional lock.
