New Delhi, Aug. 19 -- OnePlus, a smartphone brand under Chinese tech conglomerate BBK Electronics, on Monday joined sister brands Oppo, Vivo, and Realme in raising phone prices for the fifth time in nine months. The price increases come even as the company loses market share amid a shrinking physical retail network in the country.

On 17 August, OnePlus notified its retail distribution partners across India about this fifth tranche of smartphone price hikes since December last year. Taking Monday's hike into account, its portfolio is now up to 26% more expensive. Case in point: the mid-tier Nord CE6 Lite, one of its top sellers, saw prices increase by up to Rs.4,000 on Monday. That takes its price to Rs.28,999 as of today, up from Rs.22,9...