Realme has decided to split with Oppo and become an independent brand, its founder and global chief executive said in a Facebook post on Monday. “The overwhelming response and trust from the young generation is something that has encouraged me to launch the new brand Realme. The new brand will not only offer a good product but also will reflect one’s persona. I am proud to declare that the new brand will have more to offer to young people around the world with better products,” Sky Li said.
Li also thanked Oppo CEO Tony Chen for guiding him in the last 18 years. “I am grateful for my youthful years at OPPO, as its persistence in delivering products in the perfectionist way benefited me a lot. OPPO also gave me the opportunity to reach out to the larger world, which gave me the strength and courage to start Realme today. I’ve also learned so much from Tony Chen, a man of vision, vigor and generosity, who led me in the past 18 years. These all are like a valuable backpack on my road ahead,” said Li.
This is the second time when an Oppo executive has parted ways to continue with a new brand, the previous one being Pete Lau who started OnePlus. OnePlus continues to be a part of the parent company BBK, which also owns Vivo Mobile. It remains to be seen if Realme will also be a part of the conglomerate.
Realme launched its first smartphone, the Realme 1, exclusively in India in May. Wrapped in a unique design, the Realme 1 is powered by a MediaTek Helio P60 processor paired with up to 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. It retails at ₹ 8,990 on Amazon.
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