TL;DR
OnePlus is reportedly considering making Nord a sub-brand or independent company. It is believed that Nord would have a larger offline presence and offer more ecosystem products as a result. The new Nord phones will apparently offer a new user interface on top of Oxygen OS.
OnePlus launched the Nord brand in 2020 with the eponymous OnePlus Nord mid-range phone. Since then we’ve seen the Nord brand flood the market with a variety of low- and mid-range offerings, but a new report suggests that OnePlus has another idea in mind for the brand. 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 setup as we see with Xiaomi and Poco or Vivo and Iqoo. The store further claims that Nord will be treated as a separate brand with its own branding, stores and team. In fact, the brand will apparently have blue as its trademark, and could be presented as “branded OnePlus” or “by OnePlus” in some cases.
A budget Nord flagship, new user interface in the works?
So what would a Nord sub-brand or stand-alone company mean from a consumer perspective? Well, The Mobile Indian claims to have a significant offline presence and expand its product portfolio to include TVs, fitness trackers, smart watches, Bluetooth neckbands, power banks and more. The store further claims that the Nord phones will also be extended to slightly higher and lower price segments, specifically claiming that a “budget flagship” Nord would be available for around Rs 35,000 (~$441). He adds that an affordable Nord priced around Rs 15,000 (~$189) is also in the pipeline. It is also claimed that the new Nord phones will get a new user interface on top of Oxygen OS.
Should Nord become its own brand?
10 votes Yes definitely 50% No, it should stay with OnePlus 50% This all sounds like a very familiar strategy, as we’ve more recently seen Xiaomi create Poco as an independent brand. Poco still uses Xiaomi designs for some of its phones, but adds the Poco Launcher on top of MIUI and occasionally tweaks the design. The Xiaomi-affiliated 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’ll have to take this claim with a grain of salt, as the outlet isn’t a regular source of major exclusives. However, it would be rather interesting to see OnePlus – which is essentially an Oppo brand these days – create a sub-brand of its own. Would that make Nord a sub-brand of Oppo? Comments
