OPPO plans $7bn R&D investment to build a multiple-access smart device ecosystem for the era of intelligent connectivity

OPPO held its OPPO INNO DAY 2019 in Shenzhen under the theme of ‘Create Beyond Boundaries’, revealing its insights and initiatives for the era of intelligent connectivity. At the event, OPPO also showcased a variety of smart devices including smart watches, smart headphones, 5G CPE, AR glasses along with key technological breakthroughs in areas such as flash charging, 5G, imaging and software optimization.

The event served as a platform for industry experts, partners and key opinion leaders to elaborate on the future of technology. To introduce, in his keynote speech, Tony Chen, Founder and CEO, OPPO said, “As the adoption of 5G and AI ramp up, intelligent connectivity is increasingly within reach. We believe the concept of connection is just the foundation, whereas the integration and convergence of things will be the future. The concept of intelligent connectivity comprises four key parts, including the convergence of technology and service, the convergence of organization, the convergence of culture and the convergence of technology, arts and humanities.”

Chen added, “OPPO has been more than just a phone maker from the outset. In fact, smartphones have simply been a gateway for OPPO to deliver a diverse portfolio of technological services. For OPPO and even the entire industry, there won't be any company solely focusing on smartphones.”

The three key strategies for the era of Intelligent Connectivity

Over the next 3 years, Chen announced an R&D budget of RMB 50 billion (about USD $7 billion) will be set aside to develop core technologies in hardware, software and system in addition to 5G/6G, AI, AR, big data and other frontier technologies.

In order to seize 5G opportunities, OPPO plans to implement three key strategies. For a start, the company will remain committed to core technology R&D to develop world-leading tech; second, OPPO will build a multi-portal ecosystem of intelligent devices with smartphones serving as the key gateway; and finally, OPPO will continue to rethink user service and optimize its content and service offerings.

Building an integrated technology system to power immersive and personalized 5G experiences

Levin Liu, OPPO Vice President and Head of OPPO Research Institute said in his keynote speech, “in the face of the new 5G era, OPPO will head towards Tech Innovation 2.0. which will be driven by ‘frontier technology’ and value for user’.” Liu also highlighted, “as the importance of convergence between technologies and services becomes essential, OPPO is building an integrated technology model that covers five spheres, namely: equipment, data, computing, services and scenarios. The model, in which 5G and AI serve as the infrastructure and our core capacities, integrates all technologies to create an all-around consistent technological experience. OPPO will follow a ‘three circle scenarios’ roadmap that covers personal scenarios, vertical scenarios and convergent scenarios to plan its future lineup of devices.”

With this, Liu added that OPPO plans to launch smart watches, smart wireless headphones and 5G CPE in Q1, 2020.

Working with partners to realize the era of intelligent connectivity

During the event, OPPO and IHS Markit, a leading global information provider, jointly released the whitepaper titled, “Intelligent Connectivity: Unleashing Opportunities with the Power of 5G, AI and Cloud.” By illustrating the trends and prospects of the industry in the era of intelligent connectivity powered by 5G, the whitepaper provides suggestions and guidelines for the future development of an intelligent and converged ecosystem.

OPPO also hosted a forum titled “Future Integration in the 5G World”, in which a panel of leading industry experts, including OPPO Chief 5G Scientist Henry Tang, well-known Financial Writer and Founder of Hangzhou Bajiuling Cultural Creativity Co., Ltd and Lanshizi Financial Publishing Center Wu Xiaobo, IHS Markit Executive Director Tom Morrod, Microsoft (China) National Technology Officer Qing Wei, Endowed Boya Professor of Peking University and Executive Director of Center on Frontiers of Computing Studies Chen Baoquan, and Founder of Context Lab Sheng Wu, exchanged views on the intelligent connectivity powered by 5G.

Combining insights stemming from the trends of intelligent connectivity and outlining their development stages as well as its own technological roadmap, OPPO is committed to continuing its focus on underlying technology innovations. The ultimate goal is to drive the long-term development of its smart device business, providing users with more comprehensive and personalized technological experiences. At the conference, Chen said that OPPO will continue to stay true to the company’s core values of “Benfen,” while actively working with partners across the entire industry chain in an open and mutually beneficial way to explore the future of intelligent connectivity.