Oppo seeks to find place in gadget mart

In the smartphone world dominated by technology giants Apple and Samsung, Oppo takes an innovative step to gain a share of the market.

Oppo is a global technology brand based in South Korea that is committed to designing “beautiful” technology products.

“We always want to surprise our users by providing them with an experience that will simply wow them,” said Sky Li, general manager of Oppo’s overseas mobile phone business.

Oppo recently unveiled in Singapore two new smartphones—N3 and R5.

The flagship Oppo N3 was built and designed with users in mind.

It is the world’s first smartphone to feature an automated swivel camera.

The motorized camera can rotate 206 degrees and take panoramic shots—in both landscape and portrait orientations.

Design, officials said, is top of mind at Oppo.

“Each phone is an artistic piece. It is for people who put a premium on aesthetical and industrial design. We want ordinary people to enjoy the technology,” added Li.

The Oppo R5, meanwhile, is said to be the world’s thinnest full high-definition phone with a width of only 4.85 millimeters.

Claimed to be polished to perfection, “the frame has been forged nine times and then finished by hand to give a perfect sheen and feel,” Li noted.

It is the first smartphone to measure less than 5 mm thick.

Li also said that aside from design, Oppo puts a premium on the user’s experience.

“We employ the ‘user-centric’ approach. We’re not after the sales volume. We do not yield to pressure from our competitors,” he said.

It took a while, but the Philippines eventually caught the eye of the global electronics and technology service provider.

“The Philippines is an exciting market with over a hundred million people who are well-versed with smartphones. Also, the Philippines is among the first countries in Southeast Asia to use 3G Internet. We want to provide a unique smartphone to the Filipinos,” said James Mah, chief executive officer of Oppo Philippines.

“We focus only on our own brand to deliver the best product. We challenge ourselves from time to time. That in effect is our long-term strategy in the market. We like them to experience Oppo as Oppo,” he added.

The smartphones are scheduled to arrive in the Philippines by the first quarter of 2015 at the latest.

Oppo N3 will retail at P29,900 while the R5 will sell at P22,200 each.