A major new partnership between Oppo and Vodafone will see the former’s devices stocked by the operator across Europe.
The Chinese smartphone manufacturer has enjoyed considerable success in its homeland and in other developing markets across Asia. However the company is intent on securing a pathway to Europe as it identifies new sources of growth, as demonstrated by its commercial tie-up with the Wimbledon tennis championships last year.
As Europe’s largest mobile operator, Vodafone now hopes it can assist in these efforts thanks to its reach, credibility and expertise in what is a highly competitive marketplace.
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Vodafone Oppo
Initially, Vodafone will offer a mixture of mid-range and flagship models, such as the Oppo Reno range, to customers in Germany, UK, Spain, Portugal, Romania, Turkey and the Netherlands. The partners will then look to expand to other geographies at a later date.
For Vodafone, the partnership allows it to expand its 5G device portfolio so it can meet the requirements of customers in each market.
"Oppo is confident that our industry-leading products and technologies will enable Vodafone to win new opportunities in the 5G era,” said Alen Wu, President of Global Sales at Oppo.
“The combination of OPPO’s state-of-the-art devices and Vodafone’s leading network will give our customers greater choice with the full potential of 5G,” added Ahmed Essam, Vodafone Chief Commercial Operations and Strategy Officer.
Oppo also stresses that because of its in-house production capabilities, it has greater immunity from the disruption caused by the coronavirus crisis - ensuring it can provide Vodafone with a reliable stream of devices.
As a major part of the global supply chain, lockdown restrictions in China had a major impact on the industry. However measures are now being eased in the country and production is approaching normal levels.
However, Oppo has been forced to suspend operations at one of its factories in India after six employees tested positive for Covid-19.
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