Oppo rearma in Europe based on AI, quality and durability to try to conquer a saturated market

In recent years, Oppo has gone through a Restructuring stage in its global strategy. While in 2022 and 2023 the company had to leave several European markets due to different Legal disputes with Nokialittle by little he is returning with a renewed strategy to consolidate your presence in a market that over the years is increasingly competitive.

Currently Oppo is the Fifth brand that sells more devices in China And, together with OnePlus, it is part of the conglomerate BBK Electronicsthat also controls brands as live and realme. Its expansion in Europe Not only does it seek to recover the land lost so farbut also position yourself solidly in the competitive segment of the mid -range with devices as interesting as the new OPPO RENE13 SERIES.

As is We already did in 2023we have had the opportunity to spend a few minutes with Billy Zhang, vice president of OPPPO and currently responsible for the brand outside China in addition to Neil Monger, director of OPPO product marketing for Europe, to understand how the company’s strategy is evolving and what role the new Oppo renov13 play throughout this process.

OPPO’s strategy to continue growing in Europe

Regarding what are Oppo’s intentions in our territory, Billy Zhang explained that the brand No specific market share objectives are set or income in Europe. “Our approach is to understand the market well and offer high quality products and services. The results will be a consequence of how good we can meet demand,” he said.

Currently, Oppo has made its presence in Europe one of the most important in the sector and is that, as in China, it is also the Fifth brand that sells more devices in the European market. During 2024 He managed to register a Growth of 13% and reach a total of 4.1 million devices soldso its dimensions are increasingly important within our territory.

One of the keys to its strategy is being the investment in retail. The company has announced an investment of 500% in the coming years to strengthen its presence both in its own e-commerce and in marketplaces and Amazon seeking not only to improve distribution, but also to offer a more accessible purchase experience and close to the European consumer while reinforcing its presence in the largest possible number of means.

In addition, something that caught our attention is that Zhang said that “a product always has to meet the user’s needs as he expects”, but “he cannot sacrifice the profit margin just to enter a price war.” At this point, Oppo clearly seeks unmark the strategy of other Chinese brands They seek to offer as much as possible.

Of phones folding to artificial intelligence, what has changed in OPPO?

The smartphones market changes rapidly, there is no doubt about that. In 2022, Zhang said that “perhaps in five years we are very important in the global folding phone market. Maybe number one.” However, the panorama has changed since, although Oppo continues to bet on folding With models such as OPPO FIND N3now the artificial intelligence It is the central axis of its strategy because the market claims.

According to Neil Monger, The AI ​​is among the three functions most demanded by userstogether with the camera and design, so they have had to adapt their strategy towards that direction. Monger says that his approach is to “optimize and make accessible the functions of the AI ​​that already exist to offer a durable and quality experience” and, obviously, that has made its Partnership With Google it is essential today.

In addition, I also wanted to ask about the possible additional cost when using the service that could come in the future, and the answer was very clear: Oppo does not plan to monetize the functions of AI on its devicesalthough it does not rule out exploring business models around them. “As technology progresses, costs will be reduced and we will find the best time to evaluate new options.”

Does this mean that the company will set aside other projects to give AI ABSOLUTE? It is evident that no. Folding models are still very present within the company’s catalog and even mid -range devices are also being very reinforced to get a greater presence in the market, so everything seems to be much more focused on meet your customers than anything else.

What a difference from the reinde13 from the rest of the devices from their competition

During this interview there was something that surprised me a lot and that, among the aspects most valued by European consumers when buying a phone, we met the Durability of devices. Oppo has responded to this demand improving the materials and the construction of the reindeer13, again, with the clear intention of listening to what your community and the market in general.

The brand claims to have introduced “Aerospace grade aluminum frames, increasing flexion resistance by 20% and water resistance by 36%”, so that on that side it seems that we can be calm. In fact, During the presentation itself We were able to verify that the reinde13 equip specific camera modes for use equipment under waterso they have really taken it seriously.

Another key point is software support. While marks like Google, Samsung and even honor They already offer up to seven years of updates in their high ranges, Oppo has extended its five -year support in the Reno13ensuring that devices will keep at least 80% of their original performance capacity during that period.

The doubt that assaults us now both in Oppo and in many other brands is whether the devices of these ranges really They will endure the passage of time. It is undeniable that the applications we install and the files that we use are increasingly complex and heavy, so the logic points to that performance will be reduced considerably.

However, you have to look at the positive and applaud a movement that benefits us a lot in the long termespecially in terms of new functions that we will be able to continue receiving and in more security with the usual Android patches. In fact, Oppo has also stressed that security and privacy are also part of its strategy, another aspect very well valued by the European client.

Both Billy and Neil emphasized a lot Your commitment to the local regulations that we have in Europe: “We strive to go beyond the legal requirements to guarantee the safety and privacy of our users”, so they are very aware of what your client needs at all times.

The challenge of consolidating in Europe

Without a doubt, the great challenge facing Oppo in the coming years is to get high in a market where you Samsung and Xiaomi already have a consolidated position. Time will say if your strategy is enough to compete in a segment as fierce as the mid -range, but what is clear is that They are attacking what the user claims At all times.

It is also interesting to see how the brand flees from those price wars in which most Chinese brands enter. The series Redmi Note 14 or even those Realme 14 series They are a good example of this, but Oppo prefers to bet on the quality and durability of its equipment Above offering the maximum possible benefits by spending the minimum.

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