Oppo stops producing its homemade chips for smartphones, a page turns

While rumors of a withdrawal from the European market continue, Oppo confirms the shutdown of its division dedicated to MariSilicon chips. In the official statement, the firm explains that the global market conditions present strong uncertainties, pushing the company to review its priorities. The division, called Zeku, created the famous MariSilicon X image coprocessor that we find in the Find X5 Pro, the Reno 8 Pro and the Find X6 Pro.

Bad news is piling up at Oppo. The Chinese firm is currently embroiled in a legal dispute against Nokia, blocking the marketing of its products in several European countries. The Finnish firm criticizes its Chinese client for using its patents without paying for them. The latter explains that he is in negotiations with Nokia for the renewal of the licenses concerned. So-called “fundamental” licenses linked to 5G, therefore mandatory, to create a smartphone.

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But the negotiations have not yet been concluded. And Nokia sued Oppo to put pressure on the manufacturer. Which led Oppo to stop selling its phones in Germany in 2022. If Oppo and its OnePlus brand refute rumors claiming a withdrawal from certain European countries (Germany, United Kingdom, France and the Netherlands, in particular) , these continue. In addition, the absence of commercial releases of new phones in France (and in Europe), in particular that of the Find X6 Pro that all international testers love, seems to prove them right.

Oppo stops development of its MariSilicon chips

At the same time, another bad news has been confirmed by Oppo: Zeku’s stop, its component development division. This unit is notably at the origin of the chips MariSilicon X and Y. The first is an image co-processor found in the Find X5, Find X5 Pro, Reno 8 Pro, Find X6 and Find X6 Pro. The second is a coprocessor for managing audio in Bluetooth. It was made official in December 2022, during Inno Days, at the same time as the Find N2 Flip. There will therefore be no more new MariSilicon.

Oppo therefore stops financing the development of in-house components. In an official statement sent to our Anglo-Saxon colleagues fromAndroid Authority, Zeku officials explain that the move is due to global phone market conditions and the resulting economic uncertainties. The volume of smartphones sold in the first quarter of 2023 has indeed dropped 12%. Oppo therefore expects to see its revenues fall accordingly. But we are also convinced that this closure is linked to the conflict with Nokia which will prevent Oppo, at least temporarily, from selling its phones in important countries.

Source : Android Authority