Eight things you didn’t know about smartphone market challenger Oppo

Chinese device brand Oppo is a relative newcomer to the New Zealand market but has already made waves globally, especially with its growth in the South East Asian markets.

With the recent launch of its latest R11 smartphone model, here are eight facts you didn't know about the brand:

• Oppo smartphones don't have a large footprint in New Zealand, but they're the biggest smartphone brand in China and they're the fourth largest smartphone brand globally. Its previous model, the R9s, was the best-selling smartphone globally in the first quarter of 2017.  
• Oppo launched in New Zealand in March this year after being in the Australian market for two and a half years and climbing into the top ten of smartphone brands in Australia. Its main retailer is JB Hi-Fi. In New Zealand, its products are distributed by PBTech, JB Hi-Fi, and Noel Leeming.  
• Oppo markets its smartphones as a premium product, but with as much as 40% lower price points to its competitors in the same market segment. The price differential is a sweet spot for its target demographic (18-34 years old). They're able to lower the price point by having in-house research and development and manufacturing in Dongguan, China.  
• Oppo's point of differentiation is its focus on camera quality and a sophisticated native camera app that intelligently adjusts settings to the surrounding environment. At the same time, it allows a high level of customisation of settings for more advanced photographers. The latest model, the R11, has three cameras; a 20 MP selfie front camera, a 20 MP telephoto camera accompanied with a 16 MP wide angle camera on the rear.  
• Oppo phones come with its proprietary quick charging VOOC technology. VOOC gets the phone from 0 to 75% charge in 30 minutes and is fast and safe.  
• The brand recently surpassed 100 million units of phones shipped globally.  
• Oppo is an official partner of football team FC Barcelona and has partnered with the International Cricket Council to increase exposure in the Commonwealth countries.  
• Oppo phones come pre-packed with a gel case and glass screen protector straight out of the box. They have a two-year warranty on the phone and a 12-month warranty on the accessories.