Oppo makes splash with 1st dual-mode 5G smartphones

Chinese smartphone vendor Oppo is making a big splash in the country's 5G smartphone competition with the Reno 3 series, its latest handset featuring dual-mode 5G connectivity, slim design and strong video shooting capabilities.

Shen Yiren, vice-president of Oppo, said the Oppo Reno 3 series are designed to encourage more consumers to embrace the 5G era. Delivering a better 5G experience with a light design, the new smartphones are part of Oppo's broader efforts to offer an innovative personal technology experience for more consumers.

Priced from 3,399 yuan ($486) in China, the Reno 3 series are Oppo's first smartphones to support both standalone and nonstandalone 5G networks. They are powered by the US tech giant Qualcomm Inc's latest 5G chip Snapdragon 765.

The new handsets have an Ultra Steady Video 2.0 function that the company said offers "gimbal-like" stabilization. Both main and telephoto cameras come with optical image stabilization. For a more immersive video viewing experience, the Reno 3 Pro comes with stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos enhancement.

Oppo has been one of the most aggressive players in 5G smartphones. The company had been selling 5G smartphones in key European markets since May, with promising sales in Sweden, Italy and the United Kingdom.

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. Oppo's products and services are now available in more than 40 countries and regions.

Earlier this month, Chen Mingyong, CEO of Oppo, announced that it will invest 50 billion yuan ($7.1 billion) over the next three years on research and development, as it aims to boost its technological prowess amid fierce competition in the 5G-enabled internet of things era.

Chen said the spending will focus on research in 5G, 6G, artificial intelligence, augmented reality and other emerging technologies. Also, it will be used to finance more efforts to develop core fundamental architecture for hardware, and boost software capabilities.