Chinese smartphone makers are facing a challenging situation in Europe, particularly in Germany, as another prominent brand, Vivo has been banned from selling its products.
Following a patent dispute, Vivo joins OPPO and OnePlus in being prohibited from selling phones in Germany. The latest report reveals that Vivo has ceased the sale of its smartphones and other offerings in Germany.
This information is confirmed by visiting Vivo’s official website, which no longer lists any products. Vivo has not released any official statement regarding the closure of its store in Germany and has not clarified whether this decision is temporary or permanent.
According to WinFuture, the website contains a message in German that translates to, “Unfortunately, Vivo products are not available in Germany at the moment.
Accordingly, no product information is available on our German website. If you use a Vivo product, you can continue to rely on our customer service. You will also receive future software updates.”
The reason behind Vivo’s departure from the German market is a patent dispute with Nokia, the Finnish networking equipment supplier, and not HMD Global, the company that owns the Nokia smartphone brand. Nokia accused Vivo of infringing WLAN patents on its smartphones, and a German court ruled in favor of Nokia, leading to Vivo’s withdrawal from the market.
In addition to Vivo, OPPO is also considering exiting several European markets, including the UK. However, OPPO has not made any plans to leave Germany or any other country, although its operations have been temporarily halted.
As of April 2023, OPPO is engaged in negotiations with Nokia to settle the patent dispute. Nonetheless, the German version of OPPO’s website remains empty, lacking any product information.
