As the tech world eagerly anticipates the launch of OPPO's Reno12 series in July 2024, the spotlight is firmly on the transformative potential of AI phones.
Positioned as an "AI Phone," the Reno12 series promises to bring cutting-edge Artificial Intelligence (AI) features to consumers in the UAE and beyond, heralding a new era in smartphone technology.
Speaking to select journalists in the UAE, Lay Ren, CEO of OPPO MEA, highlighted the unique features of Reno12, the company’s strategic vision and the future of AI in the smartphone industry.
Embracing the AI phone revolution
“The smartphone industry has evolved significantly over the years, transitioning from feature phones to smartphones. Now, OPPO believes we are on the cusp of the third major shift: the era of AI phones, driven by generative AI technologies,” Ren said.
“This evolution is not just about smarter devices but about fundamentally transforming how we interact with our phones.”
OPPO's vision: Promoting AI from a novelty to necessity
“OPPO is committed to making AI phones accessible to everyone, moving AI from a novelty to a necessity. With the Reno12 series, OPPO is dedicated to promoting and contributing to the popularisation of AI smartphones,” Ren said.
Generative AI: A game changer
The last year has seen generative AI technologies explode in popularity, catalysed by the launch of ChatGPT in 2022. Unlike the discriminative AI of the past, which focused on analysis and judgment, generative AI can create and innovate. It can chat, summarise documents, write code, draw, and even generate videos, infusing artificial intelligence with true creativity for the first time. This shift is set to reshape numerous industries, including smartphones.
“We believe that following feature phones and smartphones, artificial intelligence represented by generative AI will lead the smartphone industry into the third stage, the era of AI phones,” Ren said.
Smartphones: The gateway to AI
Nearly 5 billion people rely on smartphones daily, making them the most crucial personal devices for harnessing AI's potential. With their comprehensive input and output capabilities and increasing hardware sophistication, smartphones are perfectly positioned to drive AI's popularisation, and smartphone Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) will be key drivers in this process.
The future of AI phones
The demand for AI phones is skyrocketing. According to International Data Corporation (IDC), shipments of AI phones in the sub-$1000 segment are projected to grow by 250% in 2024, reaching 35 million units. As generative AI becomes more integrated into everyday life, it enhances user experiences across entertainment, productivity, and more.
OPPO's commitment to accessibility: 50 million AI phones by the end of 2024
Guided by the mission "Technology for mankind, Kindness for the world," OPPO is dedicated to making AI technologies accessible to all, not just those who can afford flagship devices. “By the end of 2024, OPPO expects to have around 50 million AI phones in the hands of users globally. This ambitious goal reflects OPPO's commitment to making AI phones accessible to everyone, enabling a truly intelligent mobile experience,” Ren said.
Investing in AI innovation
OPPO's dedication to AI is backed by substantial R&D investments. The company has established an AI Centre to strengthen its research efforts, filing over 5,000 AI-related patents. OPPO has pioneered the development of its own large language models (LLMs) and is actively working on large vision models and multimodal technology. OPPO is the first smartphone company to deploy an LLM with 7 billion parameters directly on the device.
Collaborative efforts
In addition to its own innovations, OPPO collaborates with industry leaders to enhance AI phone experiences. “Partnerships with Google, MediaTek, and Microsoft are set to bring advanced AI features and improved performance to the Reno12 series,” Ren said.
In partnership with Google, OPPO’s Reno12 series will feature the Google Gemini family LLMs, bringing OPPO users even more innovative and convenient AI features such as AI Toolbox, including AI Writer and AI Recording Summary features.
In collaboration with MediaTek, both parties are tuning chips to enhance chip storage and computational efficiency on future OPPO flagship models.
And through its partnership with Microsoft, the next-generation OPPO phones will be equipped with Microsoft capabilities to bring a more efficient, accurate, and natural voice and text conversion experience and improved connectivity between desktop AI and phones.
These collaborations ensure that OPPO's AI phones offer superior functionality and seamless user experiences.
Introducing the Reno12 series
“AI is not new to OPPO. It has been using AI to enhance user experience for many years.
The Reno12 series comes packed with innovative GenAI features designed to enhance creativity, productivity, and personalisation,” Ren said.
For instance, the AI Eraser feature allows users to remove unwanted objects from photos effortlessly. By simply circling the object, AI Eraser can accurately identify and remove it, generating the missing content with minimal traces of post-processing. This feature illustrates how GenAI can unlock new levels of creativity and convenience.
“As OPPO prepares to launch the Reno12 series, it stands at the forefront of the AI phone revolution. With a clear vision, significant investments in AI, and strategic collaborations, OPPO is poised to lead the industry into a new era. The Reno12 series is not just a smartphone, it's a gateway to the future, bringing the power of generative AI to the fingertips of users worldwide,” Ren said.
