OPPO unveils new high-tech offerings as it expands beyond phones

Smartphone brand OPPO released technologies such as a virtual assistant, ray tracing, intelligent car connection and health care during a developer conference in Shanghai on Wednesday.

OPPO, which now has 460 million users for its ColorOS system, aims to expand and diversify its business to smart watches, headphones, TVs, glasses and the automotive sector, based on technologies like ray-tracing and AI-powered digital assistants, said Liu Chang, OPPO research lab president.

"Users want an all-in-one service in daily life. Firms and developers should offer platforms and services for them (rather than a smartphone only)," Liu said during the OPPO Developer Conference.

OPPO, the No. 2 player in the Chinese smartphone market, has about 460 million users globally, with about 200,000 developers.

In September, China's smartphone sales reached 21.4 million units, a decrease of 8.1 percent from a year ago, with 5G models accounting for 70.5 percent of total sales, according to researcher the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology.

The slump in the smartphone market is forcing brands to expand and upgrade – moving into areas such as smart homes or intelligent cars.

For example, Xiaomi Corp has announced it will tap into the electric car sector.

In the Shanghai event, OPPO showcased new technologies like a virtual avatar and ray tracing on mobile devices.

The technologies, only available in high-end computers now, will be adopted in OPPO's new models next year.

It also launched a new Carlink service, now linked with 70 partners like BYD, Geely and Niu, for intelligent vehicle connections and operations.