The topic OnePlus demo units are disappearing from Best Buy stores is currently the subject of lively discussion — readers and analysts are keeping a close eye on developments.
This is taking place in a dynamic environment: companies’ decisions and competitors’ reactions can quickly change the picture.
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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.
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.
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.
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.
Earlier in the year, OnePlus shared the following statement on rumors of its shutdown:
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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