Oppo is the latest phone maker to get in on the folding market. They revealed the Find N during their ‘Inno Day’ event.

This beauty of a phone goes on sale in China this week, but there isn’t a global release date just yet.

We already know that Oppo is extrodinarily inportanti n NZ. We have consistently been blown away by the devices in our reviews. Well According to StatCounter, Oppo is the fourth most popular mobile brand in New Zealand. This is with a 4.7 percent stake in the Aotearoa devices market.

Also they sponsor the Wellington Phoenix, so they are extraordinarily important to NZ.

So foldy

“New form factors are ushering in an exciting new time in smartphone technology,” said Pete Lau, chief product officer at Oppo.

“With the Find N, we aim to change people’s perceptions about what a smartphone can offer and begin making foldable devices more accessible to an even larger audience.”

The Find N will rock a 5.49-inch outer display. Opening up this comes to 7.1-inch inner display with a 120Hz refresh rate. Of course there is the dual speaker Dolby Atmos speaker system.

The Find N is going to be powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 888 chip for all that power. It will also have up to 12GB of RAM and 512GB storage. 

The 4500 mAh battery should offer all-day battery life, with fast charging meaning it’ll charge fully in around 70 minutes. It’s also able to be wirelessly charged and offers 10W reverse wireless charging so it can help charge other devices.

The Find N has 3 cameras. These include a 50MP Sony IMX 766 main sensor, a 16MP ultra-wide lens and a 13MP telephoto lens.

There are also selfie cameras on both the inner and outer displays so you can selfie with you phone open or closed.

The main outer display can be used to preview selfies while hand gestures will be able to trigger a photograph to be taken so users don’t have to press the shutter button.

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After the confirmation that OPPO is sponsoring the glorious and majestic Nix I bet you thought the year was done. I mean what news could be bigger than that? It’s the most important thing that could happen this year. And if you are reading this in the future son, you being born was a bigger deal. I mean not really, but really.

But back on topic, OPPO has announced their new ColorOS. ColorOS 12 built on… Android 12.

ColorOS 12 aims to provide a seamless experience that’s closer to stock Android 12. It will introduce an all-new inclusive UI, smoother performance, and rich features that help boost your everyday productivity. And hopefully help you achieve a better work-life balance.

So far it is going to release on Find X3 Pro in Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia. OPPO plans on expanding to more models covering more countries and regions in the coming months.

As to when this hits for NZ, we don’t know yet.

Check out the full unveiling video below. Or the long detailed blurb below that.

Inclusivity Now a Central Theme

Having its presence across 68 countries, touching the lives of 440 million users around the world, Inclusivity has been a central theme in the creation of ColorOS 12. Building on top of OPPO’s Infinite Design concept, which is lightweight, clean and richly and very customizable, the new OS provides a more inclusive experience and comes packed with softer icons, animations and information framework that are friendly to different languages and cultures, and an adaptable framework with different phone formats.

Smoother, Seamless Experience Powering Greater Productivity

Giving users a smooth and seamless experience, the new ColorOS 12 emphasizes both comfort and endurance.

ColorOS 12 has made some achievements in addressing lags and stutters after prolonged usage. They have focused on anti-fragmentation and intelligent resource allocation. This leads to a low 2.75% system aging rate in 3 years, an average of 30% lower memory occupation. This and a 20% lower battery consumption.

Catering to your visual intuitiveness, the Quantum Animation Engine adopts more than 300 improved animations to achieve the animated effects that are lifelike. By imitating physical habits of resistance, inertia and rebound, the feature makes the overall experience smoother and more aligned to the cognition and habits of the human brain so that the experience is more realistic, and intuitive.

Practical features such as PC Connect, 3-Finger Translate powered by Google Lens, FlexDrop and Phone Manager allow ColorOS 12 users stay productive through multiple scenarios.

Prioritized Privacy: Cutting the gimmicks and focusing on the basics

OPPO has been listening to its user feedback and prioritizing privacy on ColorOS. The ColorOS 12 comes packed with all the improved security and privacy features from Android 12. This includes Privacy Dashboards, Approximate Location Sharing and Microphone and Camera Indicators. You are empowereds to be the masters of your own privacy with clear, visualized menus and buttons. On top of that they have introduced the well-received features developed within the OPPO team. These include a Private System, Private Safe, App Lock and others.

Being aware that privacy to users is all about keeping transparency, OPPO has been improving the data compliance through storage and process.

Holding privacy certifications from authoritative organizations such as ePrivacy and ISO27001, the company deploys third-party supervisor in the data security filed to make sure everyday process compliance.

An OS that’s open to the Android developers

Oppo shares the common value of a healthy mutual exchange with our Android partners and contributing on building a culture of openness and technological exchange to enhance both platforms. Of course ColorOS has incorporated many stock Android features, similarly, ColorOS has inspired the customizable trend in Android 12, like the Wallpaper-based Theming system in Material You, which you would be able to find a similar self-developed feature in previous ColorOS editions. Another fine example of this exchange is the App Cloner from ColorOS that now features in Android 12.

OPPO’s ColorOS aims to become a more Android developer friendly OS. In addition to the free camera SDKs covering OPPO’s most advantageous camera capabilities – including Ultra Steady Video Shooting, HDR, Super Wide-Angle, etc., OPPO has further opened its HyperBoost, Color Vision Enhancement to benefit Android app developers and enhance the Android ecosystem. 

ColorOS 12 Rollout Plan

OPPO will first roll out ColorOS 12 public beta today in Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia. This starts with just the Find X3 Pro 5G. Rollouts will then continue step-by-step in other countries and on additional devices through the rest of 2021 and 2022. The company aims to bring ColorOS 12 to over 110 models with 150 million users.

OPPO’s Exclusive Upgrade Policy

For the very first time, OPPO is also announcing a major update policy. OPPO devices releasing from 2019 and onwards the company will guarantee a certain number of updates. This comes to three major Android updates for the Find X Series devices, and two Android updates for the Reno/F/K and some of the A Series and a single Android update for the low memory A Series models. Together with four years of regular security patch updates for the Find X Series, and three years for the Reno/ F / K/ A Series.

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Fitbit continues to build and maintain relationship in the health and fitness space. One of the maintained 5 year relationships has been announced.

Fitbit and Diabetes New Zealand today announced an extension to their multi-year partnership. As a key partner to Diabetes NZ, Fitbit will continue to work with the organisation to drive awareness among Kiwis of how healthy lifestyle habits can help play a critical role in the prevention of type 2 diabetes and the management of all types of diabetes. In New Zealand, close to five percent of the population has been diagnosed with diabetes. This is predominantly type 2 diabetes according to the 2020 Social and Economic Cost of Type 2 Diabetes Report.

According to the report, Type 2 diabetes is increasingly being diagnosed in young people and is related to obesity. Predictions suggest people with type 2 diabetes in New Zealand will increase by 70-90 percent within 20 years. This is unless urgent action is taken. This suggests that a focus on prevention is needed to manage New Zealand’s fastest growing health crisis. Outside of the global pandemic of course.

An achievement of longstanding partnership is the annual Fitbit MoveMeant Challenge. The marquee event has seen influential Kiwis step up to the challenge, by participating in two weeks of healthy competition aiming to achieve the highest step count, all to raise awareness and funds for Diabetes NZ. Over the past five years the challenge has raised upwards of NZ$263,000 for the cause. Building on the success of previous years, the next Fitbit MoveMeant Challenge will kick off in March 2022.

The last MoveMeant Challenge in March 2020 saw participants enter a Level 4 lockdown on Day 1 of the challenge. Several high-profile participants kept up their steps taking part in socially distanced daily walks. These included household names such as Adam Blair, Erin Simpson and the late Sir Eion Edgar. They did this to raise awareness for the Diabetes cause.

Heather Verry, Chief Executive at Diabetes NZ, said, “We know a person’s risk of progressing from prediabetes to type 2 diabetes can be roughly halved if they exercised more and take steps toward leading a healthy lifestyle, and that these changes can also help with the management of diabetes. Wearable brands, like Fitbit, can play an important role to actively encourage Kiwis to make that change.”

Steve Morley, Director of Fitbit Health Solutions International and APAC for Fitbit at Google, said, “While the pandemic has clearly been top of mind for many of us, diabetes remains one of the most significant health issues that Asia and New Zealand face today, with an estimated 227 million people living with type II diabetes, half of which go undiagnosed. Wearables can help promote the adoption of healthy lifestyle habits, which in turn can have a positive effect on the prevention and management of type II diabetes.”

To find out more about the partnership, or to understand your risk of type 2 diabetes, visit https://www.diabetes.org.nz/.

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Last week Oppo gave more information about their under the screen camera technology and a whole lot more. The biggest strength of Oppo has been the way they have integrated cameras into their phones. Especially the quality vs price proposition.

But this time they have taken it to a new level allowing you to have a screen covering the whole face without a camera popping out.

This wasn’t the only thing they covered though. Throughout the online event, they unveiled a series of advances in smartphone cameras. Here they focused on upgrades to sensors, modules, and algorithms.

Check out the full presentation here:

Some of these innovations include OPPO’s next-generation RGBW sensor, the OPPO 85-200mm continuous optical zoom, and OPPO Five-axis OIS technology. Of course it also includes OPPO’s next-generation under-screen camera with a series of proprietary AI algorithms.

Utilising these new technologies, OPPO has achieved a great leap in smartphone imaging technology covering various imaging capabilities, including light-sensitivity, zoom capability, stabilisation, future product form factor pre-research, and more.

I can’t wait to see the phones using these advances.

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Samsung has announced a whole bunch of it’s newest tech at the Galaxy Unpacked event. Among these are the new phones the Galaxy Z Fold3 5G and the Galaxy Z Flip3 5G.

These two phones mean no matter which axis you want to fold your phone in half, there is an option.

On top of the new foldy phones, they have also GalaxyWatch4 and GalaxyWatch4 Classic and Galaxy Buds2. This means no matter how much extra money you have, Samsung has a way to spend it.

These are all being released next month on the 12th.

You can check out the full Galaxy Unpacked video here:

So get your pocket money ready Galaxy fans, it is time to buy some new phones.

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Oppos has done some clever stuff with it’s camera placement. They have done the little circles on the screens, tear drops form the top, etc. Best of all was when they made the shark fin that slid out of the top so you could use the whole screen for screen stuff.

Well now they are going to hide it behind the screen without something popping out of the top of the phone. They are going to hide the camera behind the screen so it can take photos through the screen.

That means more screen for you to use, without having to sacrifice those sweet sweet selfies.

Here is an example of a selfies taken with a phone where you don’t see the camera at the front.

More info Blurb

By combining the best in hardware innovation and OPPO’s proprietary AI algorithms, the new under-screen camera solution discreetly places the front-facing camera under the smartphone display in a way that maintains the integrity and consistency of the entire screen, both during use and while in standby. Offering the perfect balance between consistent screen quality and camera image quality, it is an under-screen camera solution with no comprises.

This new under-screen camera solution solves many technical and manufacturing-related challenges that have plagued under-screen camera technology since the beginning of its development. Breakthroughs include resolving issues such as inconsistent display quality in the screen area above the under-screen camera, poor image quality caused by obstruction of the camera by the screen, as well as issues with product reliability and lifespan. Thanks to advances in these areas, OPPO has been able to deliver an upgraded under-screen camera solution that takes end-to-end, full-screen experience to new levels.

On the display, OPPO’s next-generation under-screen camera solution introduces several new innovations in structure design and AI algorithms:

• Innovative pixel geometry: the new solution shrinks the size of each pixel without decreasing the number of pixels to ensure a 400-PPI high-quality display even in the camera area.

• Transparent wiring and new design: OPPO has replaced the traditional screen wiring with an innovative transparent wiring material. Combined with a high-precision manufacturing process that reduces the width of the wiring by 50%, this results in much finer display quality with a smoother visual experience.Innovative pixel geometry of OPPO’s next-generation under-screen camera

• Improved control of screen accuracy, color, and brightness: in contrast to the current industry standard of using 1 pixel circuit to drive 2 pixels (“1-to-2”) in the screen area above the camera, OPPO has introduced a new solution using proprietary screen technology, with each pixel circuit driving only 1 pixel (“1-to-1”). When combined with OPPO’s precise algorithmic compensation technology, this allows the chromaticity and brightness of the entire screen to be precisely controlled with a deviation of about 2%. For uses such as reading e-books, browsing the news, or navigating with maps, OPPO’s next generation under-screen camera technology allows for the accurate display of smaller fonts and better preservation and representation of textural details and colors, resulting in a more consistent and immersive experience.

• Improved reliability and lifespan: with the introduction of the “1-to-1” pixel circuit and dedicated optimization algorithm, OPPO’s next-generation under-screen camera solution is able to provide display compensation in the under-screen camera area of screen, improving the screen’s lifespan by up to 50%.

With regards to the camera, OPPO’s U.S. Research Institutes has developed a series of imaging AI algorithms – including diffraction reduction, HDR and AWB – to reduce some of the negative side effects typically found in under-screen cameras, such as blurry images and image glare. OPPO has also trained its AI diffraction reduction model using tens of thousands of images to control problems caused by diffraction at the light source, allowing users to capture clearer, more natural-looking images.

As consumer demand for larger screen-to-body ratios and novel smartphone form factors has grown, OPPO has invested heavily into research and development in these areas. OPPO has released three generations of under-screen camera solutions to date since it began its development of the technology in 2018, applying for over 200 related patents in the process.

In 2020, OPPO also made further contributions to the development of the technology with the submission of its first proposed standards for under-screen camera technology to the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). Included in the submitted proposal were recommendations for 7 key technical metrics including display transmittance, reflectance, uniformity, Gamma correction, color shift, and brightness decay.

OPPO will continue its research and development into hardware design and algorithmic processing capabilities to further optimize its under-screen camera technology, with the end goal of bringing a more immersive, true full-screen under-screen camera system to users worldwide.

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What better way is there help show off how absurdly good cameras are in than with nature? Well Oppo have teamed up with Orana Wildlife Park to do exactly that with the Oppo Find X3 Pro. Their Endangered Colour Campaign is an attempt to help bring attention to our beautiful native species.

To do so they gave photographer Lance Wordsworth an Oppo Find X3 Pro and unleashed him on 3 species. The New Zealand gecko, Maud Island frog, and Kea.

To totally round out the experience Oppo also donated $15k to Orana Wildlife Trust.

The Campaign

Together with Orana Wildlife Park OPPO embarked on a journey to capture nature in its true full-colour beauty with the help of its latest Find X3 Pro smartphone. Working with photographer Lance Wordsworth and leveraging its billion-colour camera, OPPO aims to capture nature in its truest form. Doing this highlights and drives awareness to endangered species in New Zealand.

“There are so many vibrant and beautiful native colours in New Zealand and it’s hard to imagine life without some of them,” said Managing Director of OPPO NZ Morgan Halim.  “In light of our global collaboration with National Geographic, we wanted to really localise the Endangered Colour campaign and shine a light on some of our country’s most beloved animals that need our help.”

The Animals

This campaign focuses on three endangered native species: New Zealand gecko, kea, and Maud Island/Hamilton’s frog. The content gives audiences the chance to experience nature from a new perspective and discover a world full of unimaginable colour.

“Orana Wildlife Park is privileged to contribute to DOC recovery programmes for six indigenous species as well as the ZAA managed breeding programmes for a range of endangered exotic species, to sustain genetically healthy and advocacy populations, which are essential to engage New Zealanders in actions to support our precious native species,” said Josh Brown, Assistant Manager of Native Fauna and Domestic Animals.

“It’s been amazing to work with OPPO to capture the beautiful colours that make our native wildlife so special on the Find X3 Pro. Conservation is a core part of our mission and OPPO has helped support us in raising more awareness to some of New Zealand’s most unique species.”

Using raw and unfiltered footage, Endangered Colour aims to bring the true colour and textures of nature to life. This means preserving them far into the future and raising awareness to New Zealand’s endangered animals.

Taking action

Orana Wildlife Park is New Zealand’s only open range zoo and is located in Christchurch. It strives to ensure all visitors feel a connection with nature and feel a responsibility towards the environment. This is achieved through messages that motivate, educate, and provide skills necessary to lead a sustainable lifestyle.

As part of the Endangered Colour campaign, OPPO has donated NZD $15,000 to Orana Wildlife Trust. This will help support its conservation efforts including its new White Rhino Conservation Centre. This new quarantine facility is in partnership with two Australian open range zoos and The Australian Rhino Project (TARP). This is to expand the managed rhino breeding population in Australia and NZ, and help to protect rhinos from extinction. 

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If you are looking for a new phone, then Xiaomi is making a pretty good case for checking out their new flagship phone the Mii 11 Ultra.

Coming in at $2036.02 the Mii 11 Ultra looks like that money has been all put to packing this beast with power, battery, and cameras.

That might be an oddly specific price, but there is a lot of phone in that phone. Check out a list of the top features below the trailer.

Features

Samsung GN2 50MP primary camera image sensor

The 50MP main camera is equipped with a next-generation 1/1.12″ super sensor, allowing users to take staggeringly clear pictures and footage with a super-wide dynamic range, even in low-light conditions using the brand-new Night Mode algorithm. The main camera utilises Dual Pixel Pro technology enabling laser-sharp focus and capture incredibly detailed 8K video.  If one angle is not enough, users can also enable dual phone recording to shoot one video with multiple devices. 

Mi 11 Ultra is also the first Xiaomi smartphone to adopt a multi-point direct ‘Time-of-Flight’ laser focus system that features an accurate 64 zone depth map, allowing it to focus faster, more accurately and with a wider field of view. The 48MP periscope camera supports 120x AI super zoom and 5x optical zoom while the 128° field of view enables beautiful cinematic shots and macro photos – simultaneously correcting lens distortion to optimise landscape and group photos.

120Hz quad-curved WQHD+ display with SOUND BY Harman Kardon

Mi 11 Ultra offers an effortlessly smooth viewing experience with a top-of-the-line 120Hz 6.81” AMOLED display, reinforced with an ultra-high 480Hz touch sampling rate, ensuring frictionless interaction with the display.  Powered by Xiaomi’s own Super Resolution technology, Mi 11 Ultra generates clear 1440p images and upscales the resolution of low-quality videos and images with Dolby Vision® and HDR10+ support.

Moreover, Mi 11 Ultra completes its premium viewing experience with SOUND BY Harman Kardon, delivering audio quality through its dual stereo speakers that are both Dolby Atmos certified and Hi-Res Audio certified making them the loudest speakers on a smart phone.  What’s more is you can now use your phone as a wireless mic by connecting it to a compatible speaker via Bluetooth.

Rear 1.1’ AMOLED display

Mi 11 Ultra offers an additional surprise with the rear 1.1’ AMOLED display – a small secondary screen enabling further customisation allowing users to take selfies with the rear cameras, set up as an unobtrusive always-on display, notification window plus more.

Snapdragon 888 5nm flagship mobile processor

Powered by the latest Qualcomm® Snapdragon 888 mobile platform, Mi 11 Ultra offers a premium experience for handling daily usage and processing heavy operations. With 5nm process technology and an ultra-large ARM Cortex-X1 core, the device delivers lightning speed, stamina and high reliability while consuming less power. The integrated X60 modem provides seamless connectivity with dual 5G standby and compatibility with a wide range of 5G bands. The device’s performance is further boosted with an ultra-high data transfer speed enabled by its LPDDR5 storage. At the same time, Xiaomi’s new three-phase cooling technology protects the device from overheating.

Dual 30W wired and 20W wireless turbo charging

The new 2^nd generation nano silicon oxide cathodebattery is smaller and more efficient than ever before. The stunning 5,000mAh capacity supports the Mi 11’s high-end display and flagship-level performance, while ensuring a smooth all-day experience. The device also supports 10W reverse charging in case users’ other devices need a quick top up.

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Oppo has announced they will partner with National Geographic again this year.

This time photographer Keith Ladzinski will explore the Mojave Desert through the lens of OPPO’s latest flagship device. The OPPO Find X3 Pro.

Last years’ campaign captured the beautiful Antarctica campaign. You can check out some of the beautiful fruits of that labor below.

Morgan Halim, OPPO New Zealand Managing Director says, “this campaign really emphasizes the Find X3 Pro’s ability to capture and display up to 1 billion colours. The vibrant orange and earth colours truly come to life in the photos taken in the Mojave Desert. It is amazing to see such high-quality content come from our partnership with National Geographic for the second year.”

OPPO found a way to showcase the colour depth and fidelity that can be achieved with the Find X3 Pro. The power of the 50MP cameras combined with the 1 billion colour display provide pro-level colour accuracy right in the palm of the hand.

National Geographic photographer Keith Ladzinski took on the challenging expedition to capture otherworldly colours and scenes with the Find X3 Pro in the famous Californian desert and said shooting the Mojave Desert on the device was a treat.

“Capturing the colour and detail is one of the foundations of photography and working with OPPO has been a great opportunity to try out new imaging innovations. We’re also both sharing a burning passion for exploration, creating, and discovering unique moments and experiences.”

Keith is a highly decorated photographer and has earned numerous 1st place honours from PDN, The International Library of Photography and National Geographic. He’s photographed 11 stories for National Geographic and over 100 for other renowned publications. This means he can bring a unique perspective to capturing the Mojave Desert’s dramatic erosion and stunning colour pallet.

The ‘out of this world colours’ campaign will take place over the next month and will present National Geographic content featuring Keith’s photographic journey with the Find X3 Pro through a variety of videos, behind the scenes shots and images.

The campaign will be showcased on National Geographic platforms as well as OPPO’s social media channels under the #OutOfThisWorldColours hashtag.

OPPO NZ will also partner with a local National Geographic photographer to capture local landscapes in New Zealand.

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Samsung is releasing it’s midrange A32, A52, A52(5G) and A72 on March 26th.

The range starts at $499 and goes to $799 with the A72. Oddly the most expensive phone here is rocking some more stuff like a bigger battery and screen size, but doesn’t come with 5G capability.

The pricing is as follows:

A32 $499
A52 $599
A52(5G) $699
A72 $799

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