FIVE MINS WITH ...
KEVIN
CHO
CHINESE SMARTPHONE GIANT OPPO HAS BIG PLANS FOR THE UK MARKET . AS THE COUNTRY REOPENS IN EARNEST , WE CAUGHT UP WITH OPPO ’ S UK GM KEVIN CHO TO TALK ABOUT THE COMPANY ’ S STRATEGY FOR DIFFERENTIATING ITSELF IN A POST-PANDEMIC BRITAIN .
Q . WHAT ARE OPPO ' S PLANS FOR THE UK MARKET IN 2021 / 2022 ?
» Crucially , we ’ ve made a number of really strong partnerships with brands we associate with being the best of British . Last month , we were the smartphone sponsor for Wimbledon , which we couldn ’ t be more excited about .
What ’ s more , our ambition is to be the leading smartphone provider in the
UK , delivering innovative , creative and high-speed devices for everyone .
After all , the UK is one of the most important markets for us ; it is highly mature , very diversified and we know that consumers here have high expectations of their smartphone and wearable devices . We ’ re confident we can deliver on those expectations .
Q . HOW ARE YOU DIFFERENTIATING YOURSELF FROM ESTABLISHED COMPETITORS LIKE APPLE , SAMSUNG , AND YOUR SIBLING COMPANIES LIKE REALME AND VIVO ?
» We definitely see ourselves as a unique company in terms of what we offer and to whom we offer it .
Our biggest differentiator is our continued innovation and creative drive . One such example is our Find X3 Pro , the 10-bit billion colour display delivers 64 times more colours than a traditional 8-bit display is capable of .
Q . HOW WOULD YOU CHARACTERISE THE PACE OF THE UK ' S 5G ROLLOUT SO FAR ? IS THE MARKET MATURE ENOUGH ?
» Despite fears that the rollout of 5G in the UK would be delayed – or just not possible altogether due to the adverse economic conditions brought about by COVID-19 – the prospects are truly bright for the UK ’ s 5G industry for the rest of the year and beyond .
With O2 and Vodafone , two network partners we work with closely on our smartphone launches , announcing a deal to create more efficient blocks of 5G spectrum earlier this year , the UK ’ s 5G development is certainly picking up the pace .
18 September 2021