Oppo's flagship Reno boasts pop-up selfie camera

Leading Chinese smartphone vendor Oppo showcased its technological prowess with its latest flagship model Reno, which comes with an unusual pop-up selfie camera designed for a notchless screen.

The model is part of the company's broader push to upgrade its product lineup so as to outcompete rivals in the highly competitive smartphone arena. Oppo is the second-largest smartphone vendor in China.

Priced from 2,999 to 4,799 yuan ($710), Reno is widely believed as the company's latest effort to expand presence in the middle to high-end market.

Shen Yiren, vice-president of Oppo, said Reno is positioned to better attract young consumers with cutting-edge features and elegant design.

"After being dedicated to the smartphone industry for a decade, Oppo hopes that Reno can help the company usher in a next decade of success. We will maintain our focus on serving young users," Shen said.

The Reno lineup includes options for a Snapdragon 855 processor, a 48-megapixel camera, and a 10 times optical zoom lens. Reno has a 16-megapixel forward-facing camera, which pops up from the top of the phone at a spunky angle like a shark fin or a wedge of brie. It is designed to solve the notorious notch problem in most full-screen smartphones.

Oppo said it currently has over 40,000 employees globally, with 10 manufacturing facilities and six research institutes across the world.

Its mobile operating system ColorOS commands 250 million users worldwide. To expand its reach, Oppo has also set up over 400,000 points of sale worldwide.

The Guangdong-based company said earlier that it will invest 10 billion yuan into research and development this year.