Oppo branches out with Shanghai TV launch

Oppo has launched its first TV products as the smartphone brand expands its business in a tough market environment with pandemic challenges and fierce competition, Shanghai Daily learned on Tuesday. 

The company launched its TVs in Shanghai, including a premium S1 model and more affordable R1 models, with starting price of 3,299 yuan (US$485). 

It also launched other consumer electronics or IoT (the Internet of Things) products including headphones and watches. 

“We are no longer a smartphone company. Now Oppo is a tech firm with various IoT products,” Liu Bo, Oppo’s vice president said. He said Oppo’s IoT business had 5 million users with 20 kinds of products. 

The Shanghai launch was Oppo’s first off-line event that didn’t reveal any new smartphone models.

The COVID-19 outbreak has hit the smartphone market. Overall smartphone sales are expected to decline by 10.7 percent in 2020 compared with 2019, according to researcher Canalys. 

Brands including Huawei and Xiaomi have already launched TVs and other electronic products.