SINGAPORE – Chinese firm, Oppo, is bent on pursuing the crowded smartphone market with new phones offering features the company says consumers want, such as an automated swivel camera and a thin form factor.
The two phones, the N3 and the R5 were revealed in Singapore recently to a large group of journalists from all over Asia Pacific.
The Oppo N3 boasts an automated swivel camera.
The latest addition to the N series, the N3, like its predecessor boasts a rotating camera but is automated. Users do not have to manually flip the lens when alternating between the front and rear views. They can do this with a flick gesture on the camera app on the screen, making the camera module to rotate 206 degrees, and reducing the need to reposition the phone. The camera can now take pictures using its free-stop and multi-angle shooting features.
Aside from being motorized, the N3 camera features breakthrough mobile camera lens technology developed in partnership with Schneider Optics, and the new generation 16- megapixel camera that can take a 64-megapixel high resolution image.
Users of the N3 can also take panoramic shots of impressive, wide-angle shots, such as landscapes and portrait panoramic photos as its lens moves itself with a simple click to activate the automatic rotation.
The O-Click remote control, Touch Access device and gestures are the three ways by which users can control the camera rotation, making N3’s camera user-friendly. The O-Click remote control helps users to adjust the lens so they can explore new ways of taking shots. It also boasts of a Touch Access device which is not only secure and convenient, but also allows for a higher resolution rate. The touch-sensitive device also respond to wet or gloved hands, making N3 an ideal phone in any situation or environment.
The camera app also lets users install their desired plug-ins such as HD Picture, Slow Shutter, Beautify, Professional, Super Macro, and GIF Mode.
The N3 has the so-called PI 2.0 Plus, a new generation OPPO Pure Image processing technology, which completes the white balance, settings, brightness adjustment, auto focus, face recognition and other actions intelligently, before users press the shutter.
Powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 quad-core processor, N3 is packed with 2GB RAM and 32GB of internal storage. The smartphone, however, is quite thick measuring at 9.9mm, and weighs 192 grams.
The phone runs on ColorOS 2.o, Oppo’s operating system that’s based on the Android 4.4 KitKat.
The handset’s screen, which measures 5.5-inch in size and has a 1920 x 1080 resolution, is made of Corning Gorilla Glass 3 for maximum clarity and durability. It has also an innovative hollow underside design to protect the screen and phone if it is dropped.
The phone is bundled with OPPO’s VOOC mini rapid charge 2.0 system that is easy to carry. It is claimed that a 30-minute charge will provide 75% battery life, and a five-minute charge allows for a two-hour call, making the phone ready whenever the users are. It has a Li-Polymer battery that has a capacity of 3,000 mAh.
N3 has a dual-sided Skyline Notification Light 2.0 embedded at the bottom of the phone which takes the form of a polar light. This not only plays a part in the phone’s aesthetic design, it also improves notification visibility as it notifies users about incoming texts and messages at all times.
“OPPO’s N3 was built and designed with our users in mind. We took what our users loved about the N1 and made it even better,” said Sky Li, General Manager of OPPO’s overseas mobile phone business. “The N3 is a perfect demonstration of our commitment to design and innovation.”
Priced at US$649, N3 will be available in the following markets: Australia, Bangladesh, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Myanmar, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, Vietnam and China.
Garrick Hung, Operations Manager and Assistant to the CEO at Philippine OPPO Mobile Technology, Inc., said they are targeting N3 smartphone to be in the Philippine market in mid-December 2014 or mid-January 2015. He also said that N3 will be sold at a price of Php29,900 in the Philippines.
OPPO R5: Currently the world’s thinnest smartphone
Measuring just 4.85mm, the R5 is the first slimmest smartphone to measure less than 5mm thick. It runs on an octa-core Qualcomm MSM8939 and comes with a 5.2-inch, 1920 x 1080 resolution AMOLED screen that offers the highest brightness and color rendition, the lowest reflection ratio, and highest ambient light contrast ratio available.
In comparison, Gionee’s Elife S5.1 is 5.15mm thick, while Apple’s iPhone 6 is 6.9mm.
Measuring just 4.85mm thick, the R5 is currently the world’s slimmest smartphone.
The 155-gram R5 comes with a 2GB RAM, five-megapixel front- and 13-megapixel rear-camera, a 2,000 mAh Li-Polymer battery, and supports LTE networks.
The handset is equipped with a patented heat dissipation technology known as Cool Element that protects its octa-core processor, thus prolonging its life.
Like N3, R5 also comes with Android 4.4-based Color OS 2.0 that lets users install their desired plug-ins to take panoramic photos.
The phone is also equipped with VOOC rapid charging system where a 30-minute charge will provide 75% battery life and a five-minute will allow for a two-hour call. Its Li-Polymer battery has a capacity of 2,000 mAh.
R5 also comes with the latest PI 2.0 Plus Flash Shot technology that lets users take the shot which has a maximum focus time of 0.18 seconds and delivers 50MP high-definition picture clarity.
The phone’s micro-arc stainless steel provides unparalleled quality and comfort while using the device.
“This phone has been developed with the end-user in mind,” said Li. “We used cutting-edge manufacturing techniques to create a phone that fits perfectly into the users’ hands, and that feels incredible. The frame has been forged nine times and then finished by hand to give a perfect sheen and feel. It has a quality that is not available anywhere else in the country.”
Unfortunately, the phone lacks a 3.5mm audio jack and a microSD card slot. The rear camera protrudes a little.
To be retailed at US$499, R5 will be available in markets where N3 will be distributed.
Hung said that R5 will be available in the Philippines by mid-December 2014 or mid-January 2015 and will be sold at P22,900.
Beyond its strong customer base in China, OPPO currently holds the number four position in Vietnam in terms of sales and the number five position in Thailand. This rapid growth can also be seen in Indonesia, a market OPPO entered in May 2013. OPPO currently has a market share of 6.5% in Indonesia, giving it the number four ranking in the market.
