Oppo Plans Expansion Beyond Smartphones, To Launch Smartwatch, 5G CPE In Q1

Oppo has unveiled plans for new products beyond the smartphone segment at its Oppo Inno Day held in Shenzhen. The company showcased a variety of smart devices including smartwatches, headphones, 5G CPE and AR glasses as well as new smartphone features in flash charging, 5G, imaging and software optimization.

CEO Tony Chen said Oppo “has been more than just a phone maker from the outset” and the company sees smartphones more as a platform to deliver services. “For Oppo and even the entire industry, there won’t be any company solely focusing on smartphones,” he said at the event.

Chen announced further that the company plans to spend CNY 50 billion (USD 7 billion) on R&D in the next three years to develop core technologies in hardware, software and systems. This includes developments in 5G/6G, AI, AR, big data and other frontier technologies.

Smartphones will be seen as the “key gateway” in a “multi-portal ecosystem of intelligent devices” planned by Oppo. In addition, it will work on optimising its content and service offerings.

New products planned in Q1 2020 already include smartwatches, wireless headphones and a 5G home router. This adds to its recently announced 5G smartphones based on Qualcomm’s new 865 and 765G platforms. – Telecom Paper