OPPO Electronics Corp (“OPPO”) makes a big entrance to Malaysia with its innovative flagship Android handset – the OPPO N1. The China mobile brand also introduced its selected portfolio of products including the Find 5 Mini, R1 and OPPO Neo.
In his introductory keynote in Kuala Lumpur, William Fang, OPPO Malaysia Chief Executive Officer said, “Malaysia is an exciting market for us. The people here are technology savvy and are constantly looking for compelling designs and advanced capabilities for their mobile applications. We believe OPPO is the right match as our main focus is meeting our customers’ needs. We are a young and innovative company that develops devices to give each user a unique experience without sacrificing simplicity. What makes us different is that from the very beginning, we vowed never to become a regular brand.”
The cutting edge OPPO N1 was an 18-month project involving over 1,500 engineers. As a benchmark, a smartphone usually takes a period of 9-12 months to manufacture. Some of the OPPO N1 parts were built in-house and units underwent strongest stress tests in temperature, humidity and weather conditions.
OPPO N1: The King of the Hill
OPPO N1 is the star product of the N series featuring a super sharp 5.9-inch 1080p display, a 1.7GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 processor, 2GB RAM, 16GB of storage and first-of-its-kind swivelling 13MP camera.
The unique camera is able to rotate up to 206 degrees, and lock at any angle. High resolution selfies. Now that’s a game changer.
Another unique feature of the OPPO N1 is the ‘O-touch’ panel on the backside of the N1. O-touch features gesture controls to switch picture modes, take pictures and navigate without touching the display.
With the OPPO N1 also comes the ‘O-Click’ remote, that enables off-device operation and control, including remote camera triggering. The device connects wireless to the OPPO N1 via Bluetooth. It also doubles as a device tracker, helping you locate a misplaced N1.
OPPO N1 runs Color OS, a highly-customised UI based on Android 4.3 Jelly Bean. Color OS has over 400 unique design improvements and 37 unique patents in the OS for improved usability and user experience.
Color OS features advanced one-, two- and three-finger gesture controls.
In foreign markets, a limited edition OPPO N1 with Cyanogen out-of-the-box is available. When asked, Candice Liu, Product Manager for OPPO, revealed on record that OPPO has no plans as yet to bring this version to the Malaysian market yet. The geek in me wept in disappointment.
The OPPO N1 retails for RM1,798.
OPPO also unveiled its portfolio of other mobile products, targeted at different customer segments.
OPPO Find 5 Mini: The Talented Mid-Ranger
First up is the OPPO Find 5 Mini that sports a 4.7-inch display (960 x 540p), 1.3Ghz quad-core processor, 1GB RAM and 4GB ROM, 2,000mAh battery squeezed into a 7.75mm thin body. it comes with a 8MP f/2.0 main camera, and 2MP front-facing. The Find 5 Mini also runs Color OS. The OPPO Find 5 retails at RM998.00.
OPPO R1: The Big Display Mid-Ranger
The OPPO R1 is a mid-range device featuring a 5-inch IPS display (1280 x 720p), 1.3Ghz quad-core processor and 1GB RAM. The device measures 142.7 x 70.4 7.1mm and weighs just 140g. The OPPO R1 packs a 8MP f/2.0 man camera and a 5MP front-facing. Storage is 16GB, and it runs Android 4.2 Jelly Bean. The OPPO R1 is priced at RM1,298.00.
OPPO Neo
Occupying the low-end of the spectrum is the OPPO Neo, sporting a 4.5-inch IPS display (854 x 480p), 1.3Ghz dual-core processor with 512MB RAM. The device is integrated with a 5MP rear camera, and 2MP front-facing. It has dual-SIM capabilities and packed with a large 1,900mAh battery. The OPPO Neo runs Android 4.2 Jelly Bean with Color OS UI. The phone measures 132 x 65.8 x 9.2mm and weighs a scant 130g. The OPPO Neo retails at RM598.
The OPPO N1, Find 5 Mini, R1 and Neo will be available in retail channels at the end of the month.
OPPO looks to build its presence in Malaysia with a strong product portfolio, backed by a large 200-strong man team and wide distribution network. According to CEO William Fang, OPPO means ‘friend’ or ‘companion’, and hopes for OPPO to be good friends with the 42 million mobile subscribers here in Malaysia.
Stay tuned for a first impressions of the OPPO N1.
