“It's hard for people to understand how these things are made and how much work goes into making a smartphone. It's not just about pulling ingredients out of boxes. "We will not go to Ikea to build a living room."
Arne Herkelmann, head of product management at Oppo Europe, smiled when he told me this, and I nodded. Building a smartphone is quite complex and requires good collaboration to be successful.
Digital Trends spoke with Herkelman and MediaTek's VP of sales and business development in Europe, Rob Moffat, about the creation of the Oppo Reno 8 Pro, and as a result, offered an interesting insight into how two extremely active and fast-growing brands operate. : to create winning devices.
Reindeer, Size and DORA
"Some people think you open the box and say, 'We're putting the smartphone together today, and then we're putting everything together,'" Herkelman laughed when asked about the process of creating a new phone. "It's a little more complicated than that."
Oppo has opted for the MediaTek Dimensity 8100 Max for the Reno 8 Pro, a high-performance mobile chipset, but it's not a case where you just 'pick up' and that's it. The 8100 Max is one of MediaTek's latest customizable chips, with manufacturers working with MediaTek to fine-tune the chipset to meet the requirements of an initiative called Dimensity Open Resource Architecture, or DORA for short.
"We knew we wanted to use a MediaTek processor," Herkelman said, "and we knew we wanted to use the [Oppo-developed] MariSilicon X neural processor (NPU) to improve video performance. This meant we didn't have to overload the MediaTek chip for video and we can direct his attention to other areas."
Oppo and the Reno 8 Pro have focused on performance, and in my experience they've really succeeded in that area, as the device impresses with its ability to make the most of its relatively modest battery capacity. It's all part of the DORA initiative, Moffat explained.
"Dimensity 8100 Max is an important part of the conversation," Moffat said. “We work closely [with companies using DORA chips] on an engineering level, and some want to focus on AI and others just on the camera. When Oppo approached us, it was clear that performance was required and behind [the Reno 8 Pro chip] was thousands of hours of research and development in terms of chipset optimization.”
Herkelman replied. "Oppo and MediaTek have worked together to improve the Reno 8 Pro in terms of efficiency and performance, to tune it the way we want it to work with ColorOS. It's only a 4,500 mAh battery, and if you just look at the numbers, it's pretty small, but the performance and battery life is comparable to the 5,000 mAh currently on the market. far superior to what we get from devices.This is what Oppo and MediaTek are planning to do.
successful cooperation
Oppo and MediaTek are big players in the smartphone market, but there is no doubt that both of them are more popular in China than in the rest of the world. MediaTek, which recently made a big move in the US, is working with Oppo in Europe, and the Reno 8 Pro is a significant collaboration for the two companies.
"In the European market, we've already built a lot of MediaTek devices, but we've never done anything on this scale before," explained Herkelman. Entry-level phones have fewer features, fewer cameras, don't need as much customization, and don't have as many conversations with partners. Reno 8 Pro is new. This is the first product of this level on the European market, we tuned it together and for the first time we worked together [with MediaTek] on the software to make the chipset work exactly as we wanted. In addition, we introduced MariSilicon Xi for the first time in the Reno series and only the third [MariSilicon X phone]. We were happy to work together and it worked out great."
The Reno 8 Pro was clearly an important phone for Oppo, and Moffat explained that it was important in a different way for MediaTek.
We have created a lot of resources to support Oppo and other companies in Europe and continue to release these premium devices. It was the biggest test [of MediaTek's new capabilities] because it was a high-end product from a mainstream smartphone buyer that was using one of our most powerful chips in the region for the first time. It was important that we got everything right, so we worked very closely with Oppo before and after the sale.
"It required collaboration and dedication," Moffat continued. - We have headquarters and R&D teams working directly with Oppo in China, but it needs more. Cooperation between marzas is needed to bring it to the market."
Partnership years
MediaTek has worked hard for some time to build a solid international reputation by producing high-quality chipsets, innovating in 5G and supporting a range of devices sold worldwide, from Amazon Alexa products to Peloton exercise bikes. But Moffat said working with Oppo on the Reno 8 Pro was a very effective calling card in Europe.
The Reno 8 Pro might be a big step forward for Oppo and MediaTek, but it took a long time.
"This MediaTek partnership shows how things should be," he said before talking about his newly opened offices next to Oppo in Düsseldorf, Germany. "Oppo and MediaTek offices are important for us. This is a commitment to support Oppo and other companies in Europe, as performance must be 100% accurate. We are strengthening the team in Europe because it is the right way. We need to be able to translate how our technology benefits the customer."
This is where Opa comes to the rescue. Although it is not well-known in the United States, it is widely known in Europe thanks to its sponsorship of a number of high-level sports, from Wimbledon tennis to UEFA soccer. And well-designed and multifunctional phones like the Find X5 Pro have gained credibility. MediaTek knows how to promote itself, which is not so good by its own admission.
The Reno 8 Pro may be a big step forward for Oppo and MediaTek, but as Herkelmann explained, it's a long time coming: the version with the Dimensity 9000 chip inside." The first European MediaTek smartphone was the Reno 4Z, an Oppo device also launched in 2020 .
build for the future
The Reno 8 Pro is one of the best Oppo phones I've used in a long time, and its history explains its success. Moffat explained that while the goal is to create a great phone, he also wants to showcase its capabilities to you, the customer; “We need to translate how our technology benefits the end consumer. Easier for Oppo and easier for the end consumer. This time we managed to do it and it went very well."
Herkelman was equally inspired by the outcome and future of both brands; "We will continue this way. It was a very good experience for both companies. Let's see how this will continue."
If the Reno 8 Pro represents what two motivated companies can do when they work together, we can't wait to see what happens next. The Reno 8 Pro is currently available in the UK and Europe, and you can read what we think about it in our Oppo Reno 8 Pro review.
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