Oppo sees opportunities in Europe for 5G devices

Chinese smartphone vendor Oppo is making a strong push into Europe by announcing that its 5G smartphone will enter the Swiss market as early as next month.

The company said at a launch event in Zurich that it will partner with Swisscom AG, a major telecommunications provider in Switzerland, to bring its first commercially available 5G device to the country.

The move is part of Oppo's "5G Landing Project," an initiative to drive cooperation with global network operators to promote the implementation of 5G products and services, empower new use cases for consumers and connect new industries.

Having acquired spectrum, the Swisscom 5G network is expected to be successively rolled out across 90 percent of Switzerland by the end of this year. Oppo's Reno 5G will be available in Switzerland at Swisscom Stores from May, and will enable superfast connectivity wherever Swisscom 5G networks are available.

Henry Tang, head of the standards research center at Oppo, said success in the 5G era requires a robust ecosystem of device makers, operators, network equipment manufacturers and application and content providers to drive growth and bring new experiences to consumers.

"We are thrilled to have strong partners like Swisscom with us as a part of our 5G Landing Project as we bring Reno 5G to the market and enter an era of truly intelligent connectivity," Tang said.

Dirk Wierzbitzki, head of products and marketing at Swisscom, said: "We are pleased to be taking an integral step toward the future (of connectivity) together with Oppo as we bring the first real 5G experiences to Swiss consumers with Oppo's Reno 5G smartphone."

According to Swisscom, other smartphone vendors including China's Huawei Technologies Co will also launch 5G handsets to Switzerland in the coming month.

"The very first 5G devices in the Swisscom shop are from Oppo, followed by other brands such as LG (from May), Samsung (from July) and Huawei (third quarter)," according to Xinhua News Agency, which quoted a statement from Swisscom.

Xiang Ligang, director-general of the Information Consumption Alliance, said Oppo is trying to build itself as an innovative brand in Europe, seeking to attract consumers with cutting-edge products and design.

"The move highlights the company's determination to conquer more developed markets after its products became available in more than 40 countries and regions," Xiang said.

"Oppo's preemptive 5G launch, several months ahead of other players, will give it an edge but long-term success will depend on its product and service capabilities," he added.

Oppo is already the second-largest smartphone vendor in China. In June 2018, Oppo launched its high-end smartphone model Find X in Paris, marking its official foray into Europe. As of January, it had entered nine European markets, including Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom.