In the fierce competition of the smartphone market, OPPO was once regarded as an outstanding player capable of surviving the harsh winter of the industry. However, it now seems to be left in the cold wind, and its market performance is worrying.

OPPO's sales have stalled, becoming the focus of attention in the industry. Against the backdrop of the gradual recovery of the global smartphone market, other domestic smartphone manufacturers such as vivo and Huawei have achieved growth in market share, while OPPO's sales have continued to decline, even falling out of the top five in China's smartphone shipments. This change is shocking and raises deep concerns about OPPO's future.

The latest reports released by the two major market research institutions, Canalys and IDC, reveal that in the just-concluded third quarter, OPPO's (including OnePlus) share and shipments in China's smartphone market have both fallen out of the top five, ranking only sixth.

OPPO's predicament did not form overnight. Its product lines are generally poorly positioned, resulting in significant internal competition. For example, the Find series, as OPPO's high-end flagship product, has failed to shoulder the responsibility of the high-end line; the Reno series is even more poorly positioned, with low resolution. Although the A series focuses on cost-effectiveness, its reputation and image are significantly inferior to brands like Xiaomi. Additionally, its sub-brand OnePlus has failed to differentiate itself from competitors and cannot compare in popularity with brands like vivo's iQOO and Xiaomi's Redmi.

In terms of business layout, although OPPO has been striving to improve its underlying technological capabilities, the results have been unsatisfactory. From chips to XR, OPPO has invested huge resources but failed to achieve substantial breakthroughs. After four years of exploration, its chip-making journey had to end in failure. Meanwhile, the XR business also faces numerous difficulties, with shipments continuously declining and a bleak future outlook.

OPPO's significant investments in marketing have also failed to reverse its market decline. Once relying on a franchise model to establish a vast offline system and brainwashing advertising campaigns to rise to the ranks of mainstream brand phones, OPPO now seems to have lost its past magic. Its market share is being eroded by other manufacturers, and its user reputation is gradually declining.

More seriously, OPPO has encountered repeated setbacks in its transformation process, and its core business is also facing severe challenges. OPPO, which once aspired to expand its technological territory and pursue high-end products, has encountered harsh realities. Its high-end flagship Find series has not been recognized by the market, and sales are far below expectations. This undoubtedly casts a shadow over OPPO's path to high-end products.

Although OPPO is not entirely without opportunity, the challenges and difficulties it faces cannot be ignored. Although its dual-brand strategy has helped OPPO capture market share to some extent, it has not fundamentally solved the problems of unclear product line positioning and internal competition. While its overseas strategy has achieved certain results, competition in the overseas market is also intensifying, leaving a limited time window for OPPO.

Faced with severe internal and external challenges, OPPO is in a critical situation. Chen Mingyong, who has not appeared in public for years, has had to quietly re-emerge to take charge of OPPO again. However, even after Chen Mingyong personally surveyed channels and communicated with core agents, he failed to immediately reverse OPPO's market decline.

OPPO's predicament is not only lamentable but also triggers profound reflections on competition in the smartphone market. In this rapidly changing industry, only continuous innovation and progress can ensure success. For OPPO to regain its lost ground and restore its glory, it must fundamentally address the issues of unclear product line positioning and internal competition, strengthen its underlying technological capabilities, and expand its core business. Only by doing so can it remain invincible in the fierce market competition. However, the future path is filled with uncertainties and challenges, and it remains uncertain whether OPPO can successfully overcome its difficulties.