Oppo
Chinese consumer electronics maker known for smartphones and audio gear.
Oppo is a privately owned Chinese tech company that makes consumer electronics, with its headquarters in Shenzhen, Guangdong. It was founded in 2004 and now produces smartphones, smart devices, audio gear, power banks, and other electronics. Globally, Oppo is one of the biggest smartphone makers, holding roughly 9% of the worldwide market and serving 600 million active users each month across over 60 countries. In 20 regional markets, it ranks among the top three smartphone brands by sales, going head-to-head with rivals like Samsung and Xiaomi. The company also controls other smartphone brands, including Realme and OnePlus.
The Oppo name was trademarked in China in 2001 and officially launched in 2004 by Tony Chen in Dongguan. Its first international product was the Oppo X3 MP3 player, introduced in 2005. Since then, Oppo has grown to operate in more than 50 countries and become a major force in electronics. By June 2016, it had become China’s largest smartphone manufacturer, selling through over 200,000 retail outlets. In 2018, Oppo Digital stopped selling disc players in key markets to focus on mobile devices. The following year, Oppo ranked fifth in global smartphone market share. In 2024, data from the International Data Corporation showed Oppo in fourth place globally, with 8.8% of the market and more than 103.1 million shipments in 2023. That same year, Oppo held 54,000 granted patents, placing it sixth worldwide.
For branding, Oppo has used celebrity endorsements and sports sponsorships. In 2010, South Korean boy band 2PM created the song “Follow Your Soul” for a promotional deal in Thailand. In 2015, Oppo signed a sponsorship agreement with FC Barcelona. The Philippine Basketball Association made Oppo its official smartphone partner starting with the 2016 Commissioner’s Cup. In Vietnam, singer Sơn Tùng M-TP endorsed the Neo 5, Neo 7, and F1s phones, and Oppo sponsored the reality show *The Face Vietnam*. In 2017, Oppo won a bid to sponsor the India national cricket team, placing its logo on team kits from 2017 to 2019. The company became a sponsor of the French Open in 2019 and later a five-year partner of Wimbledon as its first official smartphone partner. Since the 2019 World Championship, Oppo has been the exclusive global smartphone partner for Riot Games’ *League of Legends* esports tournaments.
Quick Facts
- Founders
- Tony Chen · Jin Leqin · Si Sevong · Duan Yongping
- Area Served
- 70+ countries
- Key People
- Leo Zhao (CEO)
- Industry
- Consumer electronics
- Products
- Audiovisual · ColorOS · Hi-Fi · Home cinema · Smartphones · Tablet computers
- Owner
- BBK Electronics (2004-2023) · Guangdong Oujia Holdings Co., Ltd. (2023–present)
- Num Employees
- 40,000
- Divisions
- Oppo Digital
- Founded
- 2004-10-10
- Subsidiaries
- OnePlus · Realme
- Hq Location City
- Shenzhen, Guangdong
- Hq Location Country
- China
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The brand name "Oppo" was registered in China in 2001 and launched in 2004 by Tony Chen in Dongguan, China. In 2005, the company introduced its first international device, the Oppo X3 MP3 player. By June 2016, Oppo had become the largest smartphone manufacturer in China, selling phones through more than 200,000 retail outlets. In 2018, Oppo Digital announced it was discontinuing its disc player business in major markets to focus on mobile devices. In 2019, Oppo ranked fifth in global smartphone market share, and in 2024 it ranked fourth with 8.8% of the market and over 103.1 million shipments in 2023.
Oppo has engaged in extensive branding partnerships, including sponsoring FC Barcelona in 2015, the Philippine Basketball Association in 2016, the India national cricket team from 2017 to 2019, the French Open tennis tournament in 2019, and Wimbledon Championships for five years as its first official smartphone partner. Since the 2019 World Championship, Oppo has been the exclusive global smartphone partner for Riot Games and its League of Legends Esports tournament. In March 2024, the company introduced Seventeen's subunit BSS as brand ambassadors in the Asia-Pacific region.
In audio, Oppo released the HA-2 portable amp/DAC in 2015, featuring a battery pack option and stitched leather casing. An updated version, the HA-2SE, was released in October 2016 with a new DAC chip. The company also developed VOOC fast charging technology, unveiled in 2014, with multiple iterations including SuperVOOC and a 240W version announced at the 2022 Mobile World Congress. In November 2023, Oppo and Hasselblad revealed a collaboration to develop HyperTone camera systems for upcoming Find series flagship smartphones.
Reader's Guide
Oppo's significance in the audio gear world stems from its portable amplifier/DAC products, particularly the HA-2 and HA-2SE, which were released in 2015 and 2016 respectively. These devices offered a portable version of the HA-1 amp/DAC, with features such as a battery pack option, stitched leather casing, and compatibility with Android, iOS, and PC sources via included cables. The HA-2 could also be charged using a rapid charger kit, and its battery pack feature could be used simultaneously while playing music only when the source device was an Apple iOS device. The HA-2SE updated the DAC chip while otherwise remaining identical to the HA-2. These products represent Oppo's foray into high-quality portable audio, complementing its broader consumer electronics portfolio. The company's legacy in audio is also tied to Oppo Digital, an independently operated division that specialized in designing and marketing audio and video equipment, though that division discontinued its disc player business in 2018 to focus on mobile devices. Oppo's broader impact includes its fast-charging VOOC technology and its position as a major global smartphone manufacturer, with extensive patent holdings and partnerships across sports and entertainment.
More in Headphones and Audio Gear, Part 2 1-24
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