5G, the next generation of mobile network, is starting to gain pace and China is among the countries running for a pole position in the global launch and research related to the network protocol.
The Chinese smartphone maker, Oppo, recently took the stage at the 2018 China Mobile Global Partners Conference in Guangzhou to showcase use cases of 5G technology in partnership with telecom operator, China Mobile. The company also showcased the first 5G prototype of its flagship smartphone, Oppo Find X, at the conference.
Oppo Find X was the phonemaker’s entry key into the US and thus, a 5G variant is vital for it to make a mark. The prototype variant of the Oppo Find X uses a Snapdragon X50 modem along with a Snapdragon 855 chipset. Among the various use cases, Oppo exhibited fast browsing applications, 3D video calling, and online video playback on a 5G network.
Oppo’s President of China Business, Brian Shen, said chose his words carefully and said that Oppo will be “one of the first companies to launch commercial 5G smartphones in 2019” without stressing on being the first, after a marketing fumble by sister company OnePlus. Notably, the image shared by Oppo shows the Find X running on Android Pie, which means an update for Find X should be around the corner.
Oppo Find X is an innovative smartphone with the world’s first motorized selfie camera with the objective of maximizing the display landscape on the smartphone. Besides the smartphone, Oppo’s Shen has promised to leverage 5G for the development of smart devices in the areas of “smart health” and “smart home” and has already begun working on developing an “innovative ecosystem” based on 5G.
“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“, said Levin Liu, the Head of OPPO Research Institute.
Oppo is in talks with several telecom operators from Europe, Australia, and other western markets to develop commercial applications of 5G.
