The OPPO Watch has been officially revealed, though you'd be forgiven for having a sense of deja-vu at this Apple Watch-esque wearable. Looking a whole lot like the iPhone-only smartwatch, the OPPO Watch relies on Wear OS by Google - which means, of course, that it'll work with both iPhone and Android devices - and offers both an integrated LTE option and a super-fast charging feature.
The availability of components like Qualcomm's Snapdragon 700 series and Sony's IMX586 has become a double-edged sword for phone makers. On the one hand, these have made often high-end functionality available on mid-range phones. On the other hand, the sudden explosion of these mid-range phones has also made it harder for devices to differentiate. Often it takes some design gimmick or marketing stunt to stand out from one another but the OPPO Reno 4 Pro goes beyond the surface to deliver something more substantial. But is it enough to truly rise above the rest? We take a deep drive to find out.
Smartphones are being compared a lot with regular computers because of the great strides they have made in power while still keeping power consumption at a minimum. Of course, it's apples to oranges considering there are many things smartphones or even tablets can't do that even laptop users take for granted. Never mind how impossible it is to upgrade or add fast storage (microSD cards don't count), even software updates to key hardware components are more than just difficult. Google and its Android partners have been working to make that last bit a little easier and OPPO is just one of the extremely few, really two, to take advantage of that.
OPPO first every wearable might have left fans feeling a bit conflicted. On the one hand, it is the brand's first-ever smartwatch and has all the bells and whistles you'd expect from a modern wearable. On the other hand, it's hard to deny its striking similarity to the Apple Watch, especially considering it also offers an ECG feature.
Regardless of that uncertain reception, OPPO seems unfazed and will in fact be launching its Watch in the US at the end of this month. It will, however, not be the same OPPO Watch it announced months ago in one important aspect.
OPPO is going hard on charging today, announcing a collection of fast charging technologies, chargers that use them, and wireless charging pads. Chief among OPPO's announcements is the reveal of its 125W flash charge, but following close behind is 65W AirVOOC wireless charging tech and a pair of mini flash chargers.
Let's face it. We're stuck with current battery technologies in smartphones, at least in the foreseeable future. Because of that, manufacturers are pretty much forced to push the limits of charging technologies instead, performing the delicate balancing act between speed and safety. Among smartphone manufacturers, Chinese companies are the brave ones that try to go beyond boundaries with some rather insane, and OPPO might just have the most insane charging speed to show off in just a few days.
OPPO made a big splash with its first smartwatch but not all for the right reasons. The OPPO Watch's rich set of features may have been overshadowed by discussions around its uncanny resemblance to the Apple Watch. That might not have been relevant for markets where Apple's products are eclipsed by its Chinese rivals but it will be a different matter entirely when, not if, the OPPO Watch becomes available in global markets, including and especially the US where the Apple Watch's design is pretty much an icon.
As we near the end of the second quarter of 2020, the smartphone sales numbers for the first quarter of what is turning out to be one of the most troubled in recent history have started rolling out. As one can expect, the figures are generally for the entire smartphone industry, largely because of the effects of the COVID-19 coronavirus. That said, the reason behind those numbers could be indicative of more permanent changes happening in the smartphone market.
Almost everything is going wireless these days on mobile, from wireless earphones to wireless charging. One thing that has been around for so long but has remained quite inconvenient is wireless file transfer. Especially these days when people need to keep their distance, transferring files to a person standing next to you needs to be fast and reliable. Some Chinese manufacturers have banded together to make that a standard among their phones and now OnePlus has joined that club.
Smartphones have become so powerful these days that you can use it for almost everything. You can even use a desktop on it, either through remote access or some Linux-based magic. Smartphones, however, will always be limited not just by the hardware they have inside but also their size. You can, of course, always attach a peripheral like a keyboard but one of OPPO's latest patents means you won't have to carry around a separate one with you. Presuming, of course, you're willing to bulk up your phone with a case.
Today, OPPO announced the Ace 2, a follow-up to the Reno Ace that drops the "Reno" branding from its name. While the Ace 2 has some solid internal specifications, it certainly seems like the main draw of this phone will be wireless charging; not only is this the first phone from OPPO to offer wireless charging, but it's also serving up 40W AirVOOC wireless charging that should be pretty fast.
In a span of just a few years, OPPO has quickly risen from being just another Chinese brand to one of the more prolific upstarts in the Android market. It quickly moved from boasting about new mobile technologies it has developed to boasting about the new smartphones that showcased those technologies. It's definitely easy enough to give OPPO a pass since it isn't Samsung, but you'd be missing out on what could possibly be the most competitive Android phone this year.