Oppo And MediaTek Say Building A Smartphone Isnt Anything Like Ikea

“People have a hard time understanding how these things are made and how much work goes into making a smartphone. It's not just about taking ingredients out of the box. We're not going to Ikea to build a living room."

Arne Herkelmann, head of product management at Oppo Europe, smiled at me and I nodded. Building a smartphone is extremely difficult, and good collaboration is critical to its success.

© Digital Trends Contributed by Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

Digital Trends spoke with Rob Moffat, VP of sales and business development at MediaTek Europe Harkelman and MediaTek Europe, about the creation of the Oppo Reno 8 Pro, which ultimately provides an interesting insight into the collaboration of two very active and fast-growing brands. To create winning devices.

Reindeer, size and DORA

"Some people think you open the box and say today we put together a smartphone, and then we put it together," Harkelman laughed when asked about the process of building a new phone. "It's a little harder than that."

For the Reno 8 Pro, Oppo opted for the MediaTek Dimension 8100 Max, a high-end mobile chipset, but it's not something you should just take for granted. The 8100 Max is one of MediaTek's new custom chips, and the manufacturer is working with MediaTek to fine-tune the chipset to meet requirements through an initiative called Dimension Open Resource Architecture, or DORA for short.

© Digital Trends Contributed by Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

“We knew we wanted to use a MediaTek processor,” Herkelman continued, “and we knew we wanted to use a MariSilicon X [developed by Oppo] neural processor (NPU) to improve video performance. This means we don't need to stress. The MediaTek video chip is much more, and we can let it focus on other areas."

Oppo and the Reno 8 Pro have focused on performance, and in my experience they really excel in this area, as the device surprises with its ability to make the most of its relatively modest battery. Moffat explained that it's all part of the DORA initiative.

"The Dimension 8100 Max is an important part of the conversation," said Moffat. “We work closely at the engineering level [with companies using Dora chips] and some want to focus on AI, others just on cameras. When Oppo contacted us, it became clear that performance was needed, and thousands of hours at that. [Reno 8 Pro Chip] Research and development in optimizing the underlying chipset.

Harkelman replied. “Oppo and MediaTek have worked together to transform the Reno 8 Pro in terms of efficiency and performance, transforming it the way we want it to work with ColorOS. It's only a 4,500 mAh battery, and that's it if you just look at the numbers. Quite small, but the performance and runtime are much better than what we get from devices with 5000 mAh batteries in the market right now. This is the planned work of Oppo and MediaTek."

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 an important collaboration for the two companies.

© Powered by Digital Trends MediaTek processors on motherboards .

"We've already made a lot of devices with MediaTek in the European market," explained Herkelmann, "but we've never done anything of this scale before. Entry-level phones with low specs, low cameras, don't need a lot of setup. And you're not that much. Colleagues Conversation with. The Reno 8 Pro was new. It's the first product of this level in the European market, we developed it together and for the first time we worked together [with MediaTek] with the software to make the chipset work. We also wanted. Also, we were the first in the Reno series. Launched MariSilicon X and only the third [MariSilicon X phone]. We were happy to collaborate and it worked out great."

The Reno 8 Pro was clearly an important phone for Oppo, and Moffat explained that it's important for MediaTek in a different way.

“We have built a lot of resources in Europe to support Oppo and other companies and ensure these premium devices are deployed seamlessly. It was the biggest test [of MediaTek's new capabilities] because it was a high-end product from a major smartphone buyer that used one of our most powerful chips in the region for the first time. It was important to get it right, which is why we worked closely with Oppo before and after launch.

"It required cooperation and dedication," Moffat continued. “We have a headquarters and R&D team that works directly with Oppo in China, but it takes more. Bringing it to market requires collaboration between marges."

A year of collaboration

MediaTek has long worked to build a strong international reputation for providing high-quality chipsets, innovations in 5G, and supporting a range of devices sold globally, from Amazon Alexa products to Peloton exercise bikes. But Moffat says working with Oppo on the Reno 8 Pro is a very viable calling card in Europe.

"This MediaTek partnership shows how things should be done," he said, before talking about Oppo's newly opened offices in Düsseldorf, Germany. “Oppo and MediaTek's offices are of fundamental importance to us. This is a commitment to support Oppo and other companies in Europe, because the performance must be 100% accurate. We are strengthening the team in Europe because that is the right way. We need to be able to translate how our technology benefits the customer.

© Digital Trends Contributed by Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

This is where Oppo comes to the rescue. While he may not be as well known in the US, he has become a household name in Europe thanks to his sponsorship of many high-profile sports, from Wimbledon tennis to UEFA soccer. Beautifully designed, feature-packed phones like the Find X5 Pro are reliable. While it knows how to sell itself, MediaTek admits it's not very good.

The Reno 8 Pro may be a big step for Oppo and MediaTek, but it's been a long time coming, as Herkelmann explains. "Most of the Oppo A series is powered by MediaTek, and for the Find X5 series in China, we launched a variant with the Dimensity 9100" chip inside. MediaTek's first European smartphone was also Oppo's Reno 4Z, released in 2020.

Build for the future

The Reno 8 Pro is one of the best Oppo phones I've owned in a long time, and its history explains its success. Moffat explained that while the goal was to make a great phone, he also wanted to show it to you, the customer; “We need to translate how our technology benefits the end user. It's easy for Oppo and the end consumer. This: We did it and it went very well."

© Digital Trends Contributed by Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

Harkelman was equally excited about the results and future of both brands; "We will continue this way. It was a very positive experience for both companies. Let's see how it goes."

If the Reno 8 Pro represents what two inspired companies can do when they work together, we can't wait to see what comes next. The Reno 8 Pro is available now in the UK and Europe, and you can read what we think about it in our Oppo Reno 8 Pro review.

#TNTJOFI LIVE! Oppo F17 and F17 Pro, Pixel 4a questions answered and more.