Oppo on full throttle in 5G era with innovative products

Chinese smartphone vendor Oppo is running on full throttle in the 5G era, with innovative products, better corporate structure and more focused marketing strategies.

The move is part of Oppo's broader push to stand out amid intense competition among 5G smartphones, which are becoming increasingly popular and affordable in China.

Liu Bo, who became head of Oppo's China business in April, said all of the company's smartphones unveiled in China this year, including budget handsets, will support 5G connectivity.

"We are very determined to embrace the 5G era," Liu said, adding that the company will take more steps in product development and marketing resources in the Chinese market to outcompete rivals.

The company is working to attract video lovers with its latest 5G handsets which feature anti-shaking cameras and the ability to shoot videos in dark conditions.

The new models, named as Reno 4 series, are video-centric, placing greater emphasis on their ability to shoot in dark conditions via an ultra night video mode and their wide lens' capability to produce stabilized clips, thanks to a function called ultra steady video 3.0, Oppo said.

Priced from 2,999 yuan ($424) the new 5G smartphones are aimed to meet consumers' growing enthusiasm for videos. With the wider commercialization of 5G wireless technologies, videos are expected to see further explosions in people's daily lives, the company added.

In April, shipments of 5G smartphones in China stood at 16.38 million units, indicating 164 percent growth on a monthly basis, and accounted for 39.3 percent of total shipments, according to the government think tank China Academy of Information and Communications Technology.

Chinese smartphone vendors including Oppo, Huawei, Vivo and Xiaomi are all scrambling to attract more 5G users amid red-hot competitions.

According to Liu, Oppo is also striving to sharpen its technological edge through innovation. The company is working to have full understanding chips, which will help its products have core edges and more competence.

By March 2020, Oppo had more than 43,000 global patent applications, with 16,000 already authorized. Among total applications about 88 percent, or more than 38,000, are invention-related.

Liu said the company will also make greater efforts to build its offline retail channels. Oppo plans to open new stores in about 400 shopping malls in China this year, part of broader efforts to boost brand image and seek innovation-driven transformation.

The new plan will increase its presence in a total of near 1,000 shopping malls by the end of this year.