Samsung and Oppo recently found themselves competing in the foldable phone market even though they barely operate in the same regions. However, OnePlus is an Oppo subsidiary representing its parent company in the foldable phone segment outside China.
OnePlus's first Z Fold-like foldable device called ‘Open' is essentially the same Oppo Find N3 announced for China, except it has a different name. In other words, the OnePlus Open is an Oppo design, and here's the kicker: Oppo's Find line is led by an ex-Samsung employee (via @Tech_Reve).
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Head of flagship products at Oppo led the Galaxy Note 7 planning team
Peter Lee, known by the full name Peter Dohyung Lee, is the head of the Find flagship product line at Oppo and has been for the past one and a half years. Mr. Lee's LinkedIn page states that he has the following responsibilities:
- To lead Find series portfolio and product planning/management team.
- Set up a product strategy for Oppo's flagship bar-type and foldable smartphones.
- Responsible for the Find series business performance and NPS.
Interestingly enough, Mr. Lee has a rich history with Samsung products. He worked for Samsung Electronics for 14 years and 3 months. He was a Senior Manager from March 2013 to March 2017
The last flagship planning team he led was responsible for the Galaxy S7 Edge and the Galaxy Note 7. Unfortunately for everyone involved, the Galaxy Note 7 will never sound good on a resume. It was a problematic device Samsung recalled due to technical issues that turned the phone into a ticking time bomb.
After leaving Samsung Electronics in 2017, Mr. Lee worked as a Director for Huawei and led the P series portfolio. He left Huawei after 3 years and 5 months, and now, Mr. Lee is situated in Shenzen, Guangdong Province, where he's working for Oppo.
In a roundabout way, it feels like a part of Samsung's past is connected to Oppo's current Find lineup. And now, with the release of the OnePlus Open, it kind of feels like Samsung and Oppo are competing for the same spot in the foldable market.
We don't know if Mr. Lee's departure from Samsung had anything to do with the Galaxy Note 7, but if it did, that fiasco may have given Oppo a key employee.
