Overseas Oppo sales promising following 5G launch

Chinese smartphone vendor Oppo has established its first-ever 5G smartphone model with strong sales in overseas markets, senior executives said.

Wu Qiang, vice president of Oppo, said the company had been selling 5G smartphone in key European markets since May, with promising sales in Sweden, Italy and the United Kingdom.

"We are working to strengthen partnership with European telecom carriers which are stepping up the push to popularize the use of 5G technologies,"Wu said.

Oppo partnered with Swisscom AG, a major telecommunications provider in Switzerland, to bring its first commercially available 5G device to the country in May.

The move is part of Oppo's "5G Landing Project", an initiative to drive cooperation with global network operators, promote the implementation of 5G products and services and connect new industries.

The company has also partnered with telecom operator EE in the United Kingdom and TIM in Italy to sell its 5G smartphones.

Wu said Oppo accounted for 20 percent of all 5G smartphones Swisscom AG has sold, and 12 percent of 5G models EE has sold. "That is quite good given than Oppo is a relatively new brand to local consumers," he added.

Currently, Oppo's products are available in more than 40 countries and regions, with overseas sales contributing to over 40 percent of its overall sales.

Shen Yiren, vice president of Oppo who is in charge of global marketing, said, "We have made a lot of effort to cultivate our 5G technological edge, which will help Oppo a strong competitor against other brands."

The company recently said that it would invest 10 billion yuan ($ 1.41 billion) in research and development this year, and expand its R&D staff to over 10,000 people.

Last week, Oppo unveiled its latest Reno 2 handset to target video-loving consumers. It features a 6.5-inch panoramic screen with a resolution of 1080 x 2400 pixels.

Priced from 2,999 yuan, Oppo Reno 2 is equipped with a quad rear camera setup, including 48 million pixel plus 8 million pixel super wide-angle lens plus 13 million pixel telephoto and 2 million pixel lens.

A combination of software algorithms and hardware configuration creates an Ultra Steady Video Super Anti Shake mode under which consumers can take good videos that are stable and clear even when taken during movement, Oppo said.

"The importance of video will explode in the upcoming years. We are already preparing for this new revolution of videos on smartphones," Shen from Oppo said.