After Oppo, OnePlus and Vivo, Nokia forces realme to exit Germany

Realme, the final company under the BBK Electronics corporate umbrella and an Oppo subsidiary, has announced its decision to exit the German market due to “slowed business” and all the pending Nokia patent lawsuit. This move follows similar decisions by other BBK Electronics brands such as Oppo, OnePlus, and more recently, Vivo.

Realme, however, is hopeful for positive news regarding license negotiations with Nokia. In the meantime, they will redirect their focus to other European markets. This means that the newly announced Realme 11, Realme 11 Pro, and Realme 11 Pro+ will not be sold in Germany, and France is more likely to face a similar fate.

The company plans to shift its focus to core markets in Italy, Poland, Spain, and the Balkans. Despite the setback, Realme remains optimistic as it is still one of the top four smartphone manufacturers in the world, with a 5% market share and an expected 8% growth in 2022.

The budget midranger, Realme C55, which was launched in March in Italy, Poland, Spain, Greece, and Romania, is said to be responsible for part of this growth with a reported daily sales increase of 300%. Unfortunately, this model will also not be available in Germany.

It remains unclear whether Realme will be able to negotiate licensing with Nokia and return to the German market in the future. The company would like to remain optimistic and hopeful.

Source: Nextpit