Oppo Confident of Being Among First Brands to Launch 5G Smartphones

Oppo claims that it has been working on 5G since 2015. It was the first company to complete a 5G Internet access test on a smartphone in October

Smartphone maker Oppo has unveiled its Find X 5G Prototype smartphone for the first time at the 2018 China Mobile Global Partners Conference, which was held from December 6 to 8 in Guangzhou. The brand said that it would be working together with industry partners worldwide in order to develop a new 5G ecosystem.

Brian Shen, Oppo global VP and President of China Business, said, “We are confident OPPO will be one of the first companies to launch commercial 5G smartphones in 2019.”

Oppo claims that its Find X 5G prototype, with its engineering sample Snapdragon 855 and X50 5G modem, offers outstanding 5G performance. The prototype, as per the company, garnered good attention from visitors at the conference.

Working on 5G since early 2015

Oppo claims that it has been working on 5G standards, product R&D and the exploration of applications since early 2015. It also claims to be the first company to complete a 5G Internet access test on a smartphone in October 2018.

The China-based smartphone brand that operates under the BBK umbrella, along with Keysight Technologies and chipmaker Qualcomm, demonstrated 5G data connectivity and applications at the conference. Oppo used Find X 5G prototype to demonstrate 5G browsing, online video replay and video call.

The concept of 5G+

Oppo has also introduced the concept of 5G+. The 5G+ era, as per the company, will witness ‘everything connected’ and work on the principle of ‘experience as king’.

Shen said, “The smartphone will be at the core of a wide range of smart devices, which will all be connected through the 5G network. To address the areas of ‘smart health’ and ‘smart home’, OPPO has already begun work on several smart devices, exploring the intersection of 5G and cutting-edge technologies, and is collaboratively building a 5G+ innovation ecosystem with the entire industry.”

Levin Liu, head, OPPO Research Institute, added, “OPPO will drive the advancement of 5G together with AI, Big data and Cloud Computing (5G + ABC), making smartphones and smart devices true ‘intelligent personal assistants’. We believe that rich 5G application scenarios and killer 5G applications will emerge in the future, bringing disruptive experiences to users.”

Several smartphone brands including the likes of Samsung, Huawei and LG are trying their best to launch the first 5G smartphone globally. Cupertino-based Apple, however, may not be launching a 5G based iPhone model till as late as 2020.