According to GSM Arena, a report from China’s Leifeng.com states that Realme is being restructured back into a sub-brand under Oppo management. The information comes from internal Oppo sources and indicates the change is happening now. Realme’s founder and CEO, Sky Li, will reportedly keep his job and lead the Realme sub-brand under this new alignment. The move won’t affect upcoming product launches, but Realme will be integrated into Oppo’s after-sales service system, which includes over 5,000 physical stores in China. This reverses Realme’s original move to become an independent brand back in late 2018, following the disintegration of the BBK Electronics conglomerate in 2023.
The BBK Blur Lines Again
So, here’s the thing about BBK Electronics. It’s the shadowy Chinese conglomerate that never really wanted to be a single public-facing brand. For years, it operated Oppo, Vivo, OnePlus, iQOO, and Realme as supposedly independent, competing companies. That facade officially crumbled in 2023 when BBK was dissolved. Now, we’re seeing the post-BBK reality take shape, and it looks a lot like… simpler corporate management. Oppo is emerging as the clear flagship, with OnePlus and now Realme as “complementary sub-brands.” It’s less about hiding their connection and more about streamlining a messy corporate tree.
Why Bring Realme Back Into The Fold?
Look, the official line is about “strengthening internal collaboration” and “improving resource management.” And that’s probably true. But let’s be real—this is also about cutting costs and reducing redundancy. Having separate R&D, marketing, and supply chains for brands that all basically share technology is inefficient. By folding Realme back in, Oppo can consolidate its engineering muscle and, crucially, its massive retail and service network. Those 5,000+ stores in China are a huge asset. Now, instead of just being Oppo service centers, they can support Realme devices too. That instantly boosts Realme’s customer service profile without building a new network from scratch.
What This Means For Phones And Fans
The report says product launches won’t be impacted. I believe that, but only in the short term. Realme carved out a name for itself with aggressively priced, feature-packed phones, often beating its corporate siblings to market with new chips or camera tech. Under tighter Oppo management, will it retain that scrappy, independent-minded product strategy? Or will it become more of a deliberate, budget-focused segment of Oppo’s portfolio, avoiding internal competition? That’s the big question. The risk is that Realme loses its edge and becomes just another line in Oppo’s catalog. The potential upside is more stable software support and better build quality through shared Oppo resources. It’s a classic corporate trade-off.
The Bigger Picture: Global Play
Don’t miss the part about this aiding “Oppo’s global expansion strategy.” Oppo has had its challenges in various Western markets. OnePlus has been its vehicle for premium growth in Europe and North America. Realme, on the other hand, has been a volume leader in markets like India and Southeast Asia. Bringing both under clearer Oppo command lets the parent company orchestrate a more cohesive global attack. OnePlus takes the high-end, Oppo the broad mid-range, and Realme the value segment. Basically, they’re building a clearer brand portfolio to take on Samsung and Xiaomi worldwide. It’s less about internal competition and more about presenting a unified front to the outside world. Whether that stifles the innovation that came from their internal rivalry remains to be seen.
