Oppo, the Chinese smartphone manufacturer is turning its focus towards the high-end smartphone segment in the Philippines, as it sees a huge potential with the increasing purchasing power of Filipino consumers.
“We are testing of this price point, but I believe the purchasing power of Filipino is still there and the economy of the Philippines is expanding. We can feel that compared before,” Oppo Philippines vice president for channel sales Zen Han said in an interview.
Had said the Chinese firm is optimistic about the Philippine market. Data from the World Bank showed that the Philippines’ gross domestic product per capita rose to $8,342.80 last year from only $2,591 in 1990.
The economy grew 6.3 percent in the first nine months of the year and remained one of the fastest-growing in Asia, next to Vietnam, China, and Indonesia.
“We can see the potential of this price point because we have been familiar with the market for the past four years. We can see a lot of finance installment ways that they provide to the consumers. So, that’s positive,” he said.
After the successful launch of Oppo Find X, the Chinese phone maker, which entered the Philippine market in 2014, introduced R17 PRO, targeting the high-end market.
“Launching Oppo R17 Pro to the Philippine market is a great milestone for us. We’ve been very excited about introducing the model as the first in our legendary R Series. R17 Pro signifies Oppo’s transformation of fully expanding in the high-end smartphone market,” Oppo Philippines’ vice president for marketing Jane Wan said.
The R17 Pro invented a brand-new “three-color and bi/quad-direction” gradient design. By adding a light-condensing layer, the R17 Pro’s misted glass casing allows light to flow on the surface of the device, demonstrating leading color aesthetics and innovation.
The R17 Pro adopts Corning Gorilla Glass 6 for the first time, with 6.4 inches of screen, 91.5 percent screen-to-body ratio, and in-screen fingerprint unlock. It is able to withstand a drop from a one-meter height to a rough surface for an average 15 times, doubled that of the Gorilla Glass 5 performance.
The R17 Pro also carries SuperVOOC flash charging technology, allowing users to enjoy safe and efficient charging technology. It can charge up to 40 percent in only 10 minutes. The R17 Pro also support NFC wireless payment, making the transition to mobile payments easy and convenient.
Oppo R17 Pro will be available in the Philippines starting Nov. 24 for P38,990.
“With the launch of R Series adding to our product portfolio, we look forward to bringing Oppo’s technology for more consumers to enjoy,” Wan said.
In 2017, Oppo was ranked as the number four smartphone brand globally, according to International Data Corp.
Data from IDC showed that smartphone shipments in the Philippines reached 7.8 million units in the first half of the year, up 5.6 percent from a year ago.