It's being report today that Apple's smartphone competitor OPPO is pulling out of key European markets. While the company is spinning the issue by stating that "The current smartphone industry is relatively not in an era of expansion, and our key markets will be adjusted and tilted periodically, but our focus on the European market is firm, and in the future we will also be accurate, Efficient investment in key markets.

The Chinese news site 36Kr further reports that the European market is known for its high sales costs. "Although the product can be sold, it does not make money, and the ROI is not high. (OPPO's European business) is bleeding." A person close to it said. For the European market, the attitude of the agent is: "I am not willing to accept it, because I will lose money. (Agents) will basically not invest again."

Yet in the very markets that OPPO is pulling out of due to economic conditions just happen to be in countries where they're facing patent litigation with Nokia who is suing them for patent infringement in Finland, Germany, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands.

The report further notes that in mid-2022, the Mannheim District Court in Germany ruled that OPPO infringed Nokia's patents and granted Nokia a cease and desist order against OPPO. OPPO and OnePlus devices were banned in Germany. In early August, the Munich court in Germany ruled that OPPO had infringed two technical patents of Nokia, and approved Nokia's request for a ban on OPPO and OnePlus.

Germany is the first major European country to issue a clear ban on OPPO. Unless it negotiates again with Nokia, reaches an agreement, pays high patent fees, or waits for a new ruling from the court, it will be difficult for OPPO to maintain its market in Germany. For more on this, read the full 36 Krypton report (Chinese).

Update: Oppo responded to the rumor that they had pulled out of key European markets and sent out news as presented in the image below. However, OPPO didn't reference the Court Order and ban in Germany and ongoing litigation that could affect OPPO sales in other European markets.