Apple has filed a lawsuit accusing Chinese smartphone maker Oppo and a former Apple Watch engineer of stealing confidential technology. The case, filed in federal court in San Jose, claims that Oppo knowingly benefited from trade secrets taken by Chen Shi, a former Apple sensor system architect.
According to Bloomberg, Shi secretly accessed protected Apple documents and met with team members to gather sensitive details on health-sensing technologies before leaving Apple in June 2025. The company alleges Shi violated his confidentiality agreement and that Oppo actively encouraged his actions.
The complaint states that just days before his departure, Shi downloaded 63 confidential files from a protected Apple server and transferred them to an external USB drive. He allegedly concealed his move to Oppo by telling Apple colleagues he was returning to China to care for his parents. Apple argues these actions gave Oppo an unfair advantage in developing a competing wearable device.
Oppo, officially Guangdong Oppo Mobile Telecommunications Corp., denies any wrongdoing. The company said it respects trade secrets and has found no evidence linking Shi’s conduct at Apple to his work at Oppo. A spokesperson added that Oppo will cooperate fully with the legal process.
The complaint states that just days before his departure, Shi downloaded 63 confidential files from a protected Apple server and transferred them to an external USB drive. He allegedly concealed his move to Oppo by telling Apple colleagues he was returning to China to care for his parents. Apple argues these actions gave Oppo an unfair advantage in developing a competing wearable device.
Oppo, officially Guangdong Oppo Mobile Telecommunications Corp., denies any wrongdoing. The company said it respects trade secrets and has found no evidence linking Shi’s conduct at Apple to his work at Oppo. A spokesperson added that Oppo will cooperate fully with the legal process.
The case is Apple Inc. v. Chen Shi, Guangdong Oppo Mobile Telecommunications Corp. Ltd., and InnoPeak Technology Inc., filed in the US District Court for the Northern District of California.
