Interview: Billy Zhang, vice president, Overseas Sales and Service at OPPO

You joined OPPO in 2008. In so many years, how have you seen the company’s growth?
Since joining OPPO , I’ve worked through multiple departments within the organisation, such as manufacturing, research and development (R&D), sales and product line. As OPPO celebrates its 18th anniversary this year and I complete 14 years with the company, I can affirm that we have only prospered over time, developing new products to meet consumer demands. We have been growing globally and are now present in more than 60 markets. In the Middle East, OPPO started its journey in 2015 and is present in more than 20 markets across the region.

Focusing on the market performance, in Q1 of 2022, OPPO saw an overall stable performance globally. According to Canalys, OPPO has maintained steady growth in mid and high-end markets, holding its position as the world’s fourth-largest smartphone brand in the Middle East and Africa. OPPO has become the third-largest smartphone brand with a 128 per cent YoY growth in South Africa, a market that we entered not long ago. OPPO has climbed to third place in the UAE, with a market share of 7 per cent.

In the beginning, we realised that innovation and technology are key to our sustainable business growth. That’s why we have been aligned with our strategy, making massive investments in R&D.

It’s reported that OPPO will stop including chargers with some of the upcoming smartphones. Why so?
OPPO has been focusing primarily on sustainability and environmental protection. As power adapters use significant number of certain materials, removing chargers will help reduce carbon footprint. For instance, our smartphone boxes are made of more than 85 per cent of recycled material, and our battery life is two times longer than the industry standards.

Can you tell us more about the Reno8 series and the IoT products?
Our latest Reno series includes three 5G models – the Reno8 Pro 5G, Reno8 5G and Reno8 Z 5G. In addition, we have also introduced three new IoT products – OPPO Pad Air, OPPO Band 2 and OPPO Enco Buds2.

The Reno8 Pro 5G is equipped with OPPO’s first self-developed imaging NPU – MariSilison X. It also features a streamlined unibody design, smooth performance and an all-around experience through ColorOS 12.1. The line-up of the Reno series also includes dual Sony flagship sensors that provide a portrait camera experience. The smartphones are sleek and lightweight and deliver a faster and safer user experience.

Read: ‘Reimaging the future’ with OPPO’s MariSilicon X

Regarding the IoT products, the OPPO Pad Air features an ultra-slim body and is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 mobile platform. Sporting a 10.36–inch 2K display, its extensive screen experience takes it to a higher level. Meanwhile, the Enco Buds2 features a 28–hour long-lasting battery, remote camera control and ultra-clear call audio with built-in noise cancellation. Furthermore, Band 2 offers users an exclusive 1.57–inch large full view screen and includes various sports modes.

Finally, I can only say that we are looking at improving user experience with every product launch.

How do you plan to support the commercialisation of 5G in the region?
We are dedicated to making 5G technology more widely used and have been continuously setting the pace. We have made major investments in it and are incorporating it into low and mid-priced products. Additionally, we work closely with the top telecom providers in Europe and the Middle East.