OPPO: Building on inspiration and innovation

Image credit: Mark Mathew / Motivate Media Group

In July, OPPO launched the much-awaited 10th generation of its Reno series, featuring the all-new Reno10 Pro+ 5G, Reno10 Pro 5G and Reno10 5G in the UAE. The smart device brand also unveiled two new IoT products, the Pad 2 and Enco Air3 Pro. This launch closely followed the unveiling of its flagship flip smartphone, Find N2 Flip, in the UAE.

As it has with Reno10’s predecessors, OPPO has taken the smartphone’s camera capabilities up a notch, providing an enhanced pro-level imaging experience with its ultra-clear portrait camera system. Plus, it’s powered by the brand’s trademark SuperVOOC flash charging tech and ColorOS 13.1, making it a formidable device in its segment.

These launches are significant for the Chinese company, which has been rapidly increasing its market share since it entered the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region in 2015. The brand, present in more than 17 markets across the region and over 60 countries worldwide, has a growing fan base, and for a good reason. Product and market localisation, a comprehensive offering across different segments, innovative features, advanced tech and a wider appeal among younger customers continue to give OPPO a competitive edge over its peers.

The primary objective for OPPO MEA’s new president, Chi Zhou, is ensuring that these factors continue to drive sales and market leadership.

Leveraging a decade of experience

Zhou, who has a decade of experience in the technology and telecommunications industry behind him, has been credited with expanding the Reno series’ market share and profitability in international markets.

“I’ve served as the head of GTM (go-to-market) and later led the overseas GTM divisions at OPPO HQ. This experience has equipped me with a comprehensive understanding of various aspects of the business and global markets,” he explains.

“All the more, I am excited to leverage this understanding and collaborate with the talented team at OPPO MEA to drive the brand’s growth and successfully deliver exceptional experiences to our valued customers in what is one of our top-performing regions. We have solid confidence in this market, which has yielded double-digit growth for us consecutively over the past few years, helping us emerge as one of the most preferred brands for smart devices.”

This growth is set to further rise with the Middle East smartphone market expected to grow by 6 per cent in 2023 to 40.4 million units, according to international tech research firm, Canalys. Saudi Arabia, the largest market in the region, is expected to expand by 9 per cent while the UAE’s smartphone market is forecasted to increase by 6 per cent.

Building on trust, banking on innovation

A confident Zhou says, “Trustworthiness and technological innovation are the two key factors that drive our brand preference and value proposition. These will also power further growth for the brand. Trust is not only built through brand promotion; it also stems from our meticulous control over product quality, service and technical details.

“We leave no stone unturned in testing every aspect of our mobile devices in ways that go beyond imagination, such as the 200,000-button-press durability test, the 10,000 USB port insertion test, and extreme temperature tests that expose the phone to temperatures as low as minus 40 degrees and as high as 75 degrees Celsius for 168 hours, just to name a few.”

As a result of a stringent ‘tried and tested’ process, OPPO has consistently developed practical technologies to power its cameras and batteries. It also has invested significantly in frontier and exploratory research to ensure it is at the forefront of industry trends.

Zhou says, “Our flash charge technology, introduced in 2014, has benefitted over 200 million users worldwide. We have expanded this technology beyond smartphones to cars, public spaces, and various other applications. While this achievement is impressive and well-known, it represents just a fraction of our extensive research and development endeavours in areas such as augmented and virtual reality and smart health tech among others.”

A tradition of innovation

While on the topic of innovation, Zhou enthusiastically explains how the Reno series exemplifies this factor. “To give you an example: Every day, more than 2.13 million portrait photos are taken on Reno smartphones. While landscapes and scenario shots may be easily found online, portrait photos are unique, capturing special memories and emotions. Portraits inspire us to continuously evolve our imaging technologies, making portrait photography the core focus of the Reno series and positioning it as ‘The Portrait Expert’.”

The brand also focuses on user orientation to make decisions related to product development – even if they are challenging. “For instance, during the early stages of planning the Reno10, we initially focused on creating a camera matrix solely based on impressive specifications. While this approach may sound tempting, we decided to change our direction. This isn’t to say that specifications were wrong or unimportant, but our primary consideration was user orientation. We realised that a telephoto lens would better serve consumers’ needs by enabling them to capture professional, beautiful and captivating portraits.”

With the introduction of the telephoto portrait lens to the Reno10 series, OPPO has introduced a premium feature to its ‘economic’ range. Users can now enjoy the benefits of the high-tech camera lens without breaking the bank – reiterating the focus on value.

“Despite the difficulties and challenges we faced, we broke through the industry’s unexplored territory, refining the telephoto portrait mode and delivering ‘pro power in portrait’ to our users. This focus on user needs drives our product offerings at OPPO,” Zhou adds.

The finer details

User needs though can differ based on the market, explains Zhou. “Despite the similarities shared by consumers in this region, there are subtle differences in their mindset and preferences when it comes to consumption.

“Take the UAE and Saudi Arabia, both countries have a tech-savvy population with a strong interest in the latest innovations. However, Saudi consumers tend to prioritise practical features such as battery life, storage capacity and system performance, while consumers in the UAE are more inclined towards creative features such as camera functionality, photography capabilities and overall design aesthetics such as the FlexForm camera and sleek design you’ll see in the Find N2 Flip.”

The Find N2 Flip set a new benchmark in the flip phone category. It features the highest-capacity battery with fast charging, a large cover screen, and an exceptional flip camera system developed in collaboration with Hasselblad.

“While early adopters and style-conscious individuals are typically interested in purchasing foldable phones, we’ve ensured that the Find N2 Flip excels in areas that are important to most people, such as camera performance, battery life, reliable performance and a sturdy screen. Our goal is to make the flip phone a reliable daily driver for all users,” he says.

Aside from advanced products, the company is also an accelerator of 5G technology and is bolstering its long-term technical capabilities to address new needs and develop new-generation communications technology for the future across its markets including the MEA region.

Proving value to communities

As OPPO continues to improve existing technologies to create devices that appeal to users across all segments, the company is also committed to offering long term value to the communities it operates in.

Sponsoring sporting events is one of ways it is doing so, says Zhou. “By collaborating with various international sports events, OPPO aims to demonstrate its respect for users from diverse regions and cultures, enabling fans worldwide to witness, hear, and share inspiring moments through our latest tech products.

“Through these partnerships, we strive to create memorable experiences that resonate with fans and connect people through the power of sports.”
In a significant move last year, OPPO announced a global partnership with the UEFA Champions League. This latest sponsorship further builds upon OPPO’s existing sports partnerships and reflects the company’s ambition to inspire and engage consumers through the world of sports.

“We are currently in our fourth year of partnering with prestigious tournaments such as Wimbledon and Roland-Garros, while also serving as a global partner of the International Cricket Council.”

In 2022, the company launched the OPPO Research Institute Innovation Accelerator that empowers technology professionals to bring innovative solutions to life and to create a better future together.

Sustainability is yet another area that is significant. Zhou explains: “Over the past two years, we have proactively released our sustainability reports, taking the initiative to share the company’s sustainable development progress with the public.

“While we continue to drive commercial growth, OPPO is actively exploring innovative ways to achieve greener manufacturing and business operations. Through energy-saving and emission-reduction initiatives, by the end of 2022, we successfully reduced our annual operational greenhouse gas emissions by 6,000 tonnes. This reduction is equivalent to the amount of greenhouse gas absorbed by 3,330 square kilometres of forest in a year.”

Furthermore, the company has made technological breakthroughs to enhance the durability of its products. For instance, the company’s proprietary Battery Health Engine technology can maintain 80 per cent of the original battery capacity for up to 1,600 charging cycles, significantly extending the battery life.

Aligned with its mission of “Technology for Mankind, Kindness for the World”, OPPO has pledged to achieve carbon neutrality across its operations by 2050. While the journey towards a greener future is a long one, OPPO is already making significant progress with its climate action report and low carbon development strategy.

For Zhou, this is all part of the strategy that will drive the brand’s future-forward vision in the Middle East and Africa. “As our brand proposition is ‘Inspiration Ahead’, we are always ready to embrace changes and stay ahead. We will continue to evolve our local product line based on customer feedback to offer more premium series in the region.”

Watch: GB Talks: Oppo MEA’s Chi Zhou on the new Reno10 series, foldable phones and IoT devices