Commits RMB10 billion (A$2 billion) in R&D for 2019

OPPO will be investing RMB 10 billion (about A$1.97 billion) in research and development next year – a 150 per cent increase year-on-year – as it focuses on 5G, AI and IoT.

The Shenzhen-based handset maker also announced it will continue to ramp up investment on a yearly basis. The announcement was made at OPPO’s technology-focused ‘2018 OPPO Technology Exhibition’ in Shenzhen, China.

Embraces 5G technology

Since 2015, OPPO has been investing in R&D into the 5G standard. When 5G standards were frozen in December 2017, OPPO quickly invested in the development of 5G products, taking the lead in enabling the interoperability of 5G signalling and data links in August 2018. By October, OPPO had realised the first 5G smartphone connection.

High-Res-1D6A1795-Edit-236493952-1533154500857 (1)
OPPO Australia MD Michael Tran

“5G is a significant network upgrade, which will bring unprecedented speeds and applications to our mobile networks here in Australia,” said Michael Tran, managing director at OPPO Australia.

“In addition to striving to become the first manufacturer to launch 5G smartphones, OPPO’s exploration of application opportunities in the 5G+ era will ultimately determine the value of 5G.”

OPPO will fully integrate 5G with applications and user insights, and continuously innovate to provide users with revolutionary, necessary, convenient and seamless mobile experiences,” added Tran.

Benefits of AI realised in the 5G era

To date, OPPO said it had applied AI technologies across a wide range of applications, including photography, facial recognition and fingerprint identification. In addition, AI has enabled OPPO to launch innovate features including an AI-powered beauty camera, 3D portrait lighting and intelligent recognition scenarios.

However, Tran said this only promised to be the start of what AI could make a reality.

“The benefits brought about by AI technologies will truly be realised when 5G launches in Australia. For OPPO, AI is both a capability and a mindset, meaning our development prospects for AI are very broad,” he said. “In the future, smartphones will be our intelligent personal assistants – and this is something OPPO will definitely enable.”

The rise of IoT sees OPPO expand to smart devices and homes

With OPPO’s commitment to becoming a leader in an era where 5G, AI and Internet of Things are broadly applied, the company is set to expand its product range to include smartwatches and smart home technologies, with its smartphones at the centre of a connected ecosystem.

“We must continue to explore and innovate within this new connected era. In the future, OPPO will fully integrate technological innovation to develop smart devices and homes, with the smartphone at their core. Our priority is to develop and provide smart technologies to meet the increasing demands for connected devices in the age of the Internet of Things,” said Tran.