The world’s fourth biggest smartphone brand, Oppo, has landed in South Africa, opening a head office in Johannesburg and announcing a launch date for its first device to be launched here.
Oppo, full name Guangdong Oppo Mobile Telecommunications, is a a subsidiary of Chinese consumer electronics company BBK Electronics, along with Vivo, OnePlus and Realme. Its products include smartphones and audio devices.
The Oppo A72, first released in April this year, will be on sale from major retailers on 7 October 2020, priced at R6 999. It is a 6.5″ smartphone, with a 1080 x 2400 pixel display and a decent 405 ppi (pixel per inch) density. An Android 10 handset, it has 128GB storage and options of 4GB or 8GB RAM.
Four rear cameras include a 48MP wide angle, 8MP ultrawide, 2MP depth and 2MP black-and-white lens. The selfie camera is 16MP wide angled. The 5G edition has a scaled down camera array, with a 16MP main lens, no b/w lens, and an 8MP selfie camera, but is both thinner and lighter.
Oppo’s local management has promised to introduce South Africans to a spectrum of smart devices.
“Oppo is committed to offering South African businesses and consumers the best technology experience possible and is excited to enter this vibrant market,” says Oppo SA CEO Sam Zhang. “This is an important moment in our collective history and, through forging strong relationships with our partners, we aim to equip our society with the tools it needs to prosper.” In a statement, Oppo said: “The upcoming devices offer users the best blend of premium features like a large main camera sensor and big, crisp displays and long-lasting, fast charging batteries, but at an affordable price.
“Audiophiles will also love Oppo phones because the brand’s award winning features like fast charging batteries, stereo speakers, bespoke sound tuning and high resolution audio support is present throughout the range. Those crowning audio achievements also extend to Oppo’s range of wireless headphones.”
Liam Faurie, business head of Go-to-market Operations in South Africa, said: “We’re confident that the quality of our hardware, value added services and our strong partnership with Google will set us apart. Oppo is a top five global smartphone brand in the world with incredible growth in key markets like India and Australia, I’m excited to introduce this level of quality to South Africa.”
Brand collaborations with Lamborghini and FC Barcelona, says the company, are a recognition of Oppo’s excellence and premium appeal.
The company says it aims to promote the rapid integration of cutting-edge technology with a focus on 5G conversion and AI integration. The brand has worked with more than 50 global operators to accelerate large-scale commercialisation of 5G, and with the successful deployment of the first standalone 5G networks in the UK, providing Europe with its first 5G smartphone.
The company also aims to meet the needs of users with visual, hearing and physical disabilities, by optimising “barrier-free accessibility functions” on top of the full suite of Google Mobile Services in the latest version of its own skin, Oppo ColorOS.