For years, mobile measurement partners (MMPs) lumped most paid traffic into a handful of giants and “other.” In 2025 that’s no longer accurate. OEM (on-device) channels preloads, setup-flow placements, OEM app stores, and lock-screen surfaces, now appear in MMP benchmarks and indices as their own, trackable sources, effectively operating like a separate storefront in your acquisition mix. 

What changed?

• AppsFlyer’s Performance Index (the industry’s reference ranking) increasingly features OEM platforms alongside the usual suspects. In fact, multiple OEMs placed in the global top-12 for Android non-gaming proof that on-device is no longer a niche line item but a competitive media source class.
  
• Industry coverage in 2025 treats OEM as a mainstream UA lever: practitioner guides and marketplaces group OEM inventory as a distinct buying category, not just “alternative Android.” That normalization matters for planning, benchmarking and vendor due-diligence.
  
• Definitions standardized. Adjust’s taxonomy now describes OEM advertising as on-device inventory provided by device makers/carriers/retailers (preloads, recommendations, OEM stores), aligning language across teams and dashboards.
  

Why “separate storefront” status matters for UA

1. Cleaner benchmarking & goal-setting. When OEM shows up as its own media source in your MMP, you can compare CPI, CVR, D1/D7 retention, and payback against in-app networks apples-to-apples, instead of burying it under “programmatic/other.” AppsFlyer’s public Benchmarks interface underscores this shift to transparent, segmented views by region, platform and time window.
   
2. Attribution that fits the surface. OEM touchpoints drive first opens differently (OOBE, OEM store feature, lock-screen). Treating the channel discretely helps you separate incrementality across those paths and avoid double-counting with in-app remarketing. Practitioner playbooks now explicitly recommend OEM-vs-traditional channel benchmarking to prove lift.
   
3. Budgeting and compliance. With OEM recognized in indices and glossaries, procurement and finance teams can adopt channel-specific ROAS and brand-safety rules, rather than forcing OEM into generic DSP policies.
   

A practical framework to use OEM benchmarks like a storefront

1) Instrument the taxonomy.
Create a distinct “OEM” source group in your MMP and sub-label by surface (Preload/Setup Wizard, OEM Store, Lock-Screen). Ensure post-install events map to early value (trial start, add-to-cart, level-3) so your OEM CPI → tROAS view is comparable with in-app networks. (AppsFlyer’s index and benchmarks pages show how sources are compared by outcome quality, not just volume).

2) Build an OEM vs. In-App scorecard.
For each geo/OS, track CPI, IPM, D1/D7 retention, CPT (cost per trial), and 30-day payback. Expect OEM to deliver earlier, cheaper first opens in Android-heavy markets, while in-app networks may win on deep value in premium iOS geos. Use MMP cohort exports to visualize value-density D0–D7 by source. Industry guides in 2025 explicitly frame OEM as a cost-controlled, fraud-resistant lever; test that claim against your own metrics. 

3) Run incrementality by path.
Structure tests per OEM path: (a) Preload, (b) OEM store featuring, (c) Lock-screen units. Hold out geo-slices or device SKUs to estimate net new users vs. cannibalization of in-app campaigns. Practitioner advice this summer: benchmark OEM reach and engagement against Google/Meta to win internal buy-in. 

4) Standardize vendor checks.
Adopt a lightweight RFP for OEM partners: reporting transparency, unique device coverage, brand safety, and MMP compatibility (AppsFlyer/Adjust/Singular). The presence of OEMs in Performance/ROI indices simplifies this step use rankings as a short-list signal, then validate on your data. 

What good looks like (targets to start with)

• Stabilize OEM CPI within ±10–15% after the first 5–10k installs per geo.
  
• Retention uplift vs. broad programmatic in entry-to-mid Android segments; payback ≤ 30–45 days on utility/commerce, longer for subs.
  
• >20% of Android volume sourced from OEM in markets with concentrated device share review quarterly and rebalance using MMP Benchmarks trends.
  

In 2025, OEMs aren’t “alternative” anymore. MMP benchmarks and indices now surface OEM as a first-class media source, giving UA teams the same clarity on CPI, quality, and ROAS that they expect from in-app networks. Treat it as a separate storefront in your plan instrument the taxonomy, run path-level incrementality, and budget against OEM-specific ROAS. That’s how you convert on-device reach into predictable growth.