Realme has reportedly begun cutting staff just weeks after confirming its merger with Oppo, raising concerns about the future of the brand’s operations and workforce amid mounting pressure in the global smartphone market.
In January, Realme and Oppo announced that Realme would be folded into Oppo and operate as a sub-brand, a structure similar to Oppo’s relationship with OnePlus. The decision came amid signs that 2026 could be a difficult year for smartphone makers, particularly Chinese brands grappling with slowing demand, tighter margins, and rising competition.
According to a report from 91Mobiles, Realme has already begun layoffs in India, with its sales team among the first to be affected. The outlet claims that several employees were asked to resign, with an April 30 deadline set as a cutoff date. Retail staff and sales managers are said to be continuing their roles temporarily, remaining on duty for what has been described as the next one to two months.
While Oppo has not publicly commented on the reported layoffs, the move appears to align with broader cost-cutting measures following the merger. Consolidation often brings operational overlap, particularly in sales and marketing, and staff reductions are a common—if painful—outcome.
The longer-term impact of the merger on Realme’s product roadmap remains unclear. The brand has built a strong presence in price-sensitive markets like India by offering aggressively priced smartphones, but integration into Oppo could lead to shifts in strategy, positioning, or product cadence.
For employees, however, the immediate picture looks far less certain. As companies streamline operations to weather a challenging market, the reported job losses underscore the human cost of consolidation in the tech industry—an outcome that continues to follow periods of rapid expansion and intense competition.
