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Oppo Switzerland gives up: No more new mobiles?
by Lorenz Keller
Oppo is back in Europe - but not really in Switzerland yet
27.2.2024
Translation: machine translated
Oppo makes a surprise appearance at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. The Chinese manufacturer is making a comeback in most European countries with a new smartphone.
"Europe is crucial for Oppo." Bingo Liu, CEO Oppo Europe, opened the short keynote speech at the tech fair in Spain with this clear commitment. "We are back in all European countries and are launching new products everywhere this year," he continued.
Flagship devices for Europe again
This is not a matter of course. The Chinese manufacturer withdrew from several countries such as Germany in the summer of 2022 due to a patent dispute with Nokia and legal restrictions. And experts were not sure what Oppo's long-term strategy would be.
The patent dispute with Nokia has been settled, new licence agreements have been signed. The Mobile World Congress is the starting point for the comeback. "The upcoming flagships of the Find series are also coming back to Europe," promises Bingo Liu. In this sense, this does not apply to the current Find X7, which has been on the market in Asia since January. Europeans still have to do without it. A new three-year contract with the mobile phone provider Telefónica ensures good distribution.
Source: Lorenz Keller
Special case Switzerland: Oppo is endeavouring to find a solution
For Switzerland, however, things are not looking good at the moment. Although there was no sales stop here due to the patent dispute, the Chinese distributor pulled the plug on the Swiss subsidiary in autumn for economic reasons. And with such a bang that, according to insiders, Oppo's reputation in the industry has been damaged.
Oppo is still looking for a solution for Switzerland, as confirmed by the European headquarters. However, it is still unclear when business will officially resume and new devices will go on sale. However, as soon as sales start in neighbouring countries, imports should at least be possible again.
New Oppo Reno 11F in the starting blocks
Oppo has also brought its first new smartphone to the Mobile World Congress. The special feature of the Reno 11F: The manufacturer provides a four-year warranty for various hardware components such as the processor and the battery.
Other than that, the Reno 11F is a mid-range device that will go on sale in the coming weeks at a price of around 200 to 300 euros. During the first hands-on, the chic design with a shimmering blue back is striking. It has a 6.7-inch AMOLED screen with a refresh rate of 120 hertz. It is typically 500 to 900 nits bright, with a maximum of 1100 nits.
The 5000 mAh battery can be charged with 67 watts, but you will have to do without wireless charging. At 177 grams, the device is quite light for its size and is also pleasantly thin at 7.5 millimetres. Another unusual feature in the price range: the housing is IP65 water and dust resistant.
The Mediatek Dimensity 7050 processor with 8 GB RAM and 256 GB memory, on the other hand, is again typical of the current mid-range. This also applies to the camera system with a 64 MP main sensor, an 8 MP sensor for wide-angle shots and a macro lens with a 2 MP sensor. The selfie cam has a 32 MP resolution.
Look into the future with glasses and artificial intelligence
Oppo also provided a brief glimpse into the future. The manufacturer has developed its own chatbot with artificial intelligence. Like ChatGPT, AndesGPT can answer all kinds of questions. However, it is still uncertain where and when the service will be used.
With other AI features, this is already clear: Oppo has developed various tools for image processing that will be used in new smartphones this year. For example, Oppo is launching an eraser to retouch photos at the touch of a button and a function to correct blurring.
Source: Oppo
The third generation of Air Glass - also still a prototype - was also unveiled. The 50-gram glasses with loudspeakers, sensors and microphones are an extension of the smartphone, but hardly differ visually from normal glasses. Touch gestures and voice commands can be used to call up information, answer calls or control music.
Header image: Lorenz Keller
Lorenz Keller
Senior Editor
Lorenz.Keller@digitecgalaxus.chGadgets are my passion - whether you need them for the home office, for the household, for sport and pleasure or for the smart home. Or, of course, for the big hobby next to the family, namely fishing.
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