Dhruv Bhutani / Android Authority
TL; Dr
- OnePlus is said to be considering turning Nord into a sub-brand or an independent company.
- Nord is expected to have a larger offline presence and offer more ecosystem products as a result.
- The new Nord phones will apparently offer a new Oxygen OS user interface.
OnePlus launched the Nord brand in 2020 with the flagship OnePlus Nord mid-range phone. Since then, we’ve seen the Nord brand flood the market with various low- and mid-range offerings, but a new report suggests that OnePlus has another idea for the brand.
The Mobile Indian reports that OnePlus is considering spinning off Nord as an independent brand or sub-brand, citing its own industry sources. This could be a similar arrangement as we see with Xiaomi and Poco, or Vivo and Iqoo.
The store also claims that Nord will be treated as a separate brand with its own branding, stores and team. In fact, the spin-off will apparently have a light blue color as a trademark and may be presented as “OnePlus Brand” or “by OnePlus” in some cases.
Nord budget flagship, new UI in development?
So what would a Nord sub-brand or an independent company mean from a consumer perspective? Well, The Mobile Indian claims that it will have a significant offline presence and will expand its product portfolio to include TVs, fitness trackers, smartwatches, Bluetooth neckbands, power banks and much more.
The store also claims that the Nord phones will also expand to slightly higher and lower price segments, specifically claiming that a “budget flagship” Nord will be available for approximately 35,000 rupees (~$441). It adds that an affordable Nord is also in the works, priced around Rs 15,000 (~$189). It is also claimed that the new Nord phones will get a new Oxygen OS user interface.
Should Nord become its own brand?
10 votes
Yes for sure
50%
No, it should stay with OnePlus
50%
This all sounds like a very familiar strategy, as we recently saw Xiaomi create Poco as an independent brand. Poco still uses Xiaomi’s design for some of its phones, but adds Poco Launcher on top of MIUI and changes the design from time to time. The Xiaomi-related brand has also recently moved into the ecosystem product space, offering a smartwatch and headphones.
We’ve reached out to OnePlus for comment on the story and will update the article when/if it gets back to us. For now, you should take this claim with a grain of salt, as the store is not a regular source of major exclusives. Still, it would be quite interesting to see OnePlus – which is practically an Oppo brand these days – create its own sub-brand. Will this make the Nord a sub-sub-brand of Oppo?
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