BEIJING，September 19 （TMTPost) -- Chinese phone maker Oppo refused to respond to rumors that it may have restarted its “chip design” business. There are reports that Oppo has begun hiring previously laid-off Zeku Technology employees. Oppo, founded in 2004, is a leading phone maker in China, with a focus on inexpensive products. Zeku Technology, a chip-design subsidiary of the phone maker, was shuttered in May 2023 and over 3,000 employees were all dismissed.