Tag Archives: Oppo

OPPO ColorOS 13 brings a touch of nature to its smartphones

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The design field covers a wide range of industries, from physical artifacts of product design to the virtual elements of user interface design. It’s sometimes too easy to take for granted the importance of a well-designed user experience, but even the most beautiful computer or smartphone becomes just an expensive paperweight if the software running on it is unusable. Smartphone user experiences or UX have come a long way ever since the first iPhone and Android phones launched, embracing different aesthetics and design languages over the years. From skeuomorphism to minimalism, UX has taken inspiration from many beautiful things in our world, and OPPO’s latest iteration of ColorOS tries to take a page from the greatest artist and designer in the world, Mother Nature.

Designer: OPPO

Smartphone UI designs have gone from trying to recreate physical objects in the digital realm to designing completely new metaphors that would be impossible to produce in the real world. The trend these days has swung towards minimalism, though the pendulum has started to move to a middle ground that adds a few embellishments to give a bit of life to what would normally be a literally flat design. This, in turn, has opened the doors to design languages that build on top of conventional minimalism, adding some character to a user interface.

ColorOS 13, for example, introduces what OPPO calls its “Aquamorphic Design” language, taking inspiration from how water flows in nature. In its calmer state, water is naturally fluid, smooth, and compliant, preferring the path of least resistance and flowing around obstacles rather, slowly eroding rocks rather than trying to smash them. Whether intentional or not, it’s a fitting metaphor for the serene design language that OPPO adopted for its award-winning Find X5 Pro flagship earlier this year.

In practice, this Aquamorphic Design manifests itself in colors, shapes, and animations that feel smoother and more natural. The default color scheme, for example, tries to take hues from dusk at sea level. Icons are larger but also have smooth rounded corners as if they were pebbles picked up from the banks of a gently flowing river. Transition animations between various parts of the phone are also smoother and more fluid, trying to imitate the natural cadence of water rather than something as simple as a timer. Many people take animations for granted, and some even despise them as a waste of CPU time or battery, but properly designed animations actually help our brains form associations when parts of the screen move around. After all, nothing in real life just pops up out of thin air, something that would be jarring to our minds, whether physical or digital.

OPPO ColorOS 13’s nod to nature doesn’t stop with its appearance. A new Always-on-Display feature called Homeland, for example, tries to raise awareness of how even a minute change in temperature caused by global warming could affect wildlife. The Blossom live wallpaper, on the other hand, ties the idea of growing a plant with your screen time. If you go over your set screen time, the plant stops growing and starts to wither.

On the technology side, ColorOS 13 promises not just smoother animations but also more efficient battery usage. In addition to a 30% reduction in power consumption with Always-on-Display mode, this version of OPPO’s Android user experience tries to save as much battery as it can, which means fewer charging times and longer battery life. These may sound like minor improvements, but they are still small steps forward that increase a phone’s longevity and sustainability in the long run.

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Oppo announces the 2022 edition of its Renovators Emerging Artists Project with prizes up to $15K

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Earlier this month, prominent tech brand OPPO unveiled and launched its 2022 Renovators event – an annual competition that rallies artists to infuse tech into art and use the result to create something that benefits or raises a mirror to society.

Now in its 4th iteration, OPPO Renovators Emerging Artists Project, inviting professional creatives, as well as students and professors at art and design institutes around the world, to submit interdisciplinary artwork that explores the fusion of art and tech. This year, OPPO has developed partnerships with top art and design colleges and universities in more than 230 cities across more than 40 countries and regions around the world. “To date, nearly ten thousand artists have participated in the program and several outstanding projects
have been further developed with OPPO’s support”, mentioned the brand in a press release.

Click Here to visit the OPPO Renovators 2022 website and participate – Last date for submission is August 18th, 2022.

The competition is held in two categories – one for Future Renovators, and one for Brand Renovators. Future Renovators are invited to help art, science, and tech collide in a way that uniquely benefits societies, while Brand Renovators are called upon for cross-art creation and IP building. 100 entries stand a chance to win awards once the competition comes to a close with results being announced on September 1st, 2022. Winners can secure prizes as high as 100,000 CNY ($14,948 USD) along with an internship opportunity sponsored by OPPO. Excellent artworks will also be showcased at London Design Festival, a themed exhibition in Shenzhen Sea World Art Center, and on OPPO INNO DAY.

The 2022 leg of the OPPO Renovators will be judged by an esteemed panel of 11 jury members who command the professional and education space, with Dajuin YAO of the China Academy of Art heading the Future Renovators category, and William Liu, VP of OPPO heading the Brand Renovators category. Click here to know more on the OPPO Renovators website where you can enroll to participate too!

Past Winners of the OPPO Renovators 2021 Project

‘Light High’ Art Installation by Jacqueline Wen

‘Light Breathing’ Art Installation

‘Heatwave Auxiliary Skin’ to help humans in hot climates

A.I. Intelligent Space by Jianwen Li

‘AutoGene’ Art Installation by Peter William Holden

Click Here to visit the OPPO Renovators 2022 website and participate – Last date for submission is August 18th, 2022.

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OPPO Find X5 Pro Review

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Smartphones are cool tech gadgets, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be breathtakingly beautiful as well.

It has been a long time since smartphones crossed the line between geeky devices to everyday must-haves. They have gone past being something that only grownups used for serious work to become a reflection of one’s lifestyle. Along with those changes in objectives, smartphones have also changed a lot in their designs over the years. Few, however, managed to successfully strike a balance between form and function, uniformity and identity. That’s part of why the OPPO Find X5 Pro piqued our interest because of its particular attention to design, earning the top spot in our Best of MWC 2022 awards list. That said, we take it for a good spin to see if it’s more than just a pretty face and if it offers enough to make it stand out from a market dominated by giants like Apple and Samsung.

Designer: OPPO

Aesthetics

Unless you’re a smartphone aficionado, smartphone designs probably won’t speak to you. Although they have shed their polycarbonate shells of the past, most smartphones today are plagued by large warts on their backs known as camera bumps. Many phone makers seem to have just given up and have, instead, decided to actually highlight those large structures in sometimes obnoxious ways. They dominate the visual center of the phone’s design, but in some cases, they look and feel almost simply slapped on rather than being an integral part of the device.

The OPPO Find X5 Pro’s design distances itself from that crowd in two notable ways. The most important is also the most obvious, the fact that it doesn’t have a camera bump in the traditional sense. Yes, there is still a raised area to house the inevitably big camera hardware, but it is seamlessly integrated into the body of the phone. Rather than a separate bump made of metal, the Find X5 Pro’s array gently rises out of the phone’s back, more like a dune on the soft sands of the desert.

Even the cameras themselves lie flush against the flat surface of that mound. If it weren’t for the black rings around the lenses, it would almost look like they’re actually part of the back cover. This creates a visual continuity that’s often taken for granted in designs, especially in smartphones. There is nothing that forcibly calls attention to itself, generating a more pleasing aesthetic that lets the eyes gently flow over the phone’s back.

The OPPO Find X5 Pro also stands out as one of the very few to use ceramic in a regular, mass-produced edition of a phone, though it is only used on this “Pro” variant. Given how hard it is to work with the material, most manufacturers only apply ceramic on the back of more expensive limited editions. Ceramic is notoriously difficult to shape into specific forms, like the one that this phone has, so it’s a testament to OPPO’s skills that it is able to make it available to a wider audience at a more accessible price tag.

The decision to use ceramic instead of typical glass goes hand in hand with its “futuristic” fluid design. Ceramic feels warmer in the hands, as opposed to cold glass, but also dissipates heat better. It also has a bit more grip even when compared to matte glass, making it less likely to slip from your hand. It has almost the perfect texture to complement the Find X5 Pro’s smooth form, generating a sense of calmness when holding and looking at the phone. Overall, the OPPO Find X5 Pro’s design feels more “human” than any other phone out there, offering a product that almost stands out like an oasis amidst the chaotic world we live in today.

Ergonomics

As a tool, it’s not enough for the OPPO Find X5 Pro to be good to look at. It also needs to be good to hold and use, especially for something that stays in the hand most of the time. Fortunately, the phone does meet ergonomic standards, though probably less perfectly than its visual design. It’s comfortable to hold and settles into your hand securely, but it could prove to be a bit tiring after long periods of use.

The ceramic back is smooth but not slippery, especially compared to AG frosted or matte glass. There’s almost a slight stickiness to it even, though not exactly in a gross kind of way. Along with its natural warmth, the material makes the Find X5 Pro a joy to hold. And depending on how you hold the phone, you might even find yourself unconsciously brushing your index finger against the soft curves of the camera bump, almost like a fidget toy.

The phone, however, is also slightly heavier than most of its peers. It’s not uncomfortably hefty, mind, and you’ll only realize that fact when you try holding other phones as well. It might not matter much, but if you’re the type who tends to hold your phone for long periods of time, you might find your hand, wrist, or arm tiring more easily with the phone.

Unfortunately, the Find X5 Pro can’t escape being a fingerprint magnet, especially with the black finish where smudges are more visible. It takes a simple wipe to banish those marks, though, but sticklers for tidiness might want to grab the white one instead. Fortunately, that doesn’t get easily smudged and embodies the purity and serenity of the phone’s design even better.

Performance

We’re not going to bog you down with specs and numbers, mostly because the OPPO Find X5 Pro is a powerful machine that can stand head-to-head with the best that the smartphone market has to offer this year so far. It comes with the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor and up to 12GB of RAM, but there’s no support for storage expansion, so you’ll have to make an upfront choice of what configuration you need when you buy it. There are a few standout details worth mentioning, though, that really make the phone shine.

The 6.7-inch 2K screen, for example, is bright and vibrant even under the sun. It boasts 1 billion colors, which will really make your photos pop, which goes perfectly well with its cameras. Designers and artists will appreciate how accurate the colors are, which is critical when trying to take photos and videos for reference.

In terms of specs, the Find X5 Pro’s crowning glory is really its camera system. On paper, the 50MP main camera might not sound like much, even if it has optical image stabilization. But thanks to the company’s new MariSilicon X chip, which was designed in-house, the images that its cameras produce look too good to be true. Fortunately, they really are.

Photos come out crisp and detailed, no matter the lighting condition. Of course, Night Mode has special tricks to make the scene look perfect, but nighttime photos, with just enough lighting, still look sharp even without that special mode. There’s no loss of detail when switching to ultra-wide because it has a similar 50MP sensor as the main camera. The 13MP telephoto camera, unfortunately, tells a slightly different story. With only 2x optical zoom, you might actually feel it’s not worth the loss in quality and stick to the main camera anyway.

In terms of software, the OPPO Find X5 Pro already runs the latest Android 12 with the company’s ColorOS 12.1 on top. It tries to stick as close to the vanilla Android experience, just with a few embellishments on top. Of course, there are also some major features you won’t find in Google’s version of Android, mostly around themes and customization. There are also your usual pre-installed apps, some of which can be uninstalled, thankfully. One, in particular, is quite interesting in how it meshes well with the overall theme of the phone. The new O Relax app uses a variety of sounds, including those associated with bustling cities, to create a relaxing audio space. Together with its design and ceramic material, this makes the OPPO Find X5 Pro one of the most calming phones on the market.

Sustainability

The Find X5 Pro scores high on most of our marks, but this is one area where the phone is sadly just like any other. Although the smartphone market is slowly taking steps towards more sustainable practices and materials, the Find X5 Pro doesn’t exhibit those efforts just yet. Just like many phones before it, it is a beautiful and high-performance phone that wasn’t designed to be easily repaired and recycled.

Admittedly, ceramic is a more sustainable material compared to plastic, but its costs will mean that repairs and replacements will be much higher as well. The phone is also sealed shut, making repairs more difficult. OPPO, of course, has its authorized service centers, but there is also a new trend these days where the likes of Apple, Google, and Samsung are opening their doors to third-party service providers. Other companies have yet to catch up to these, especially smaller brands that might not have the margins to afford that kind of business strategy.

To its credit, OPPO tries in its own small ways to at least prolong the life of its phones and delay their inevitable fate in garbage dumps. In particular, its battery health engine tries to preserve lithium-ion batteries for as long as it can, even going as far as “healing” them over time. It’s not a perfect solution, but it’s still a step in the right direction.

Value

As a high-end phone, the OPPO Find X Pro is nearly perfect. It has powerful hardware that cuts through your daily tasks like a hot knife through butter. Its cameras are among some of the best we’ve seen in the market, proving the wisdom of the company’s investments in its own imaging processor. It has snappy and useful software that truly offers added value, though we could do without most of the bloatware.

In terms of product design, the phone scores even higher. Its seamless and fluid design is a strong statement against current design trends in the market. With its choice of ceramic and the new O Relax app, OPPO boldly embraced a theme that guided its overall design, offering an oasis of calm in your hands in the middle of chaotic times. As with its design, the Find X5 Pro looks and feels like a more holistic product than yet another phone with a laundry list of must-have features.

The one catch to its overall value is its availability. At $1,300, it is on the more expensive end of the price range, but the real problem will be availability. OPPO’s phones aren’t present in all markets, and the Find X5 Pro is even less so. But for those who do have a chance to get one, it’s almost a steal.

Verdict

Almost all smartphones, especially those from Samsung and Apple, talk heavily about the design process that goes into making their latest models. Few can actually claim to deliver something that will tickle the aesthetic taste buds of those with design inclinations. Although it’s not completely new, the design language that OPPO perfected in the Find X5 Pro this year definitely stands a chance in that area. It has won many awards, in fact, including our Best of MWC 2022.

It isn’t just a pretty face, though. Unlike most of its peers and rivals, the OPPO Find X5 Pro actually has a story to tell and a message to get across. Its seamless design, its choice of materials, and even its software all point to a single theme, one that puts design thinking and attention to detail on a pedestal. In effect, the Find X5 Pro has graduated from being just another premium phone or even just a product. It has become a lifestyle choice.

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OPPO Find X5 Pro design story starts with nature and looks to the future

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The OPPO Find X5 Pro is easily one of the most beautiful phones we’ve seen in recent years. It immediately stands out from the crowd in a way that is both pleasing and thought-provoking. It’s not a one-time thing either, having started with the Find X3 Pro last year. Given the company’s investment in this design, it hopefully won’t be the last time we’ll see this exquisite design either. Like many good product designs, however, OPPO didn’t just stumble on this winning look, nor was its journey as smooth as the curves on the phone’s back. Unsurprisingly, the company is only too happy to narrate its journey, and like many journeys, it starts at the womb of Mother Nature.

Designer: OPPO

Natural Curves

While we see and use a lot of straight lines in everyday objects, those are actually a man-made convention. The famed Catalan architect Antoni Gaudi was quoted to have said that “there are no straight lines in nature.” Everything that looks or feels natural to our senses brains actually have an element of imperfection or curve to them, and that’s the kind of natural design that OPPO aimed for.

Almost all smartphones have camera bumps these days or at least individual lenses that sit on top of the phone’s back. No matter the design or arrangement, they all have one thing in common. They are both visually and structurally distinct from the rest of the phone’s back, often delineated by a metal ring or a plastic surface. While not exactly straight, these still create sharp edges, seams, and lines that look and feel unnatural.

To capture the familiar and comforting feeling of nature, OPPO decided to opt for using natural-looking curves to raise the camera bump from the rest of the phone’s surface. The company calls the final result a volcano-shaped bump, but the flat surface on top is more reminiscent of a gently rising plateau. Either way, the effect is a unique camera design that is seamlessly integrated into the phone’s structure, a beautiful structure that actually caused OPPO more headaches at the start.

Tough Act

OPPO could have simply left it at that, ending up with something no different from the OPPO Find X3 Pro last year, just with a softer curvature. Looking good, however, was only half the equation, and the company wanted the phone to also feel good in people’s hands. Nature’s curves already provided visual relief, but the company now had to turn to technology to give the same feeling of comfort to the owner’s skin.

For this trick, OPPO decided to use ceramic instead of the glass material it is familiar with. Designers and manufacturers already know how terribly difficult it is to work with ceramic. Fortunately, we have come to a point where throwing enough time, money, and brains can yield advantageous results in addressing those pain points.

Again, OPPO is only too happy to dazzle you with the tales of trials and tribulations that it endured during this journey, from developing a new CNC machining process specifically for this design and material to a new four-axis polishing machine that uses micron-level diamond powder. Fortunately for people, they only need to hold a Find X5 Pro in their hands to appreciate the end results. They will feel the comfortably warm texture of ceramic without having to worry too much about fingerprints and smudges. They will also be more confident in the knowledge that their phone’s back has more chances of surviving a fall unbroken.

The Devil’s in the Details

The OPPO Find X5 Pro’s design story didn’t end there. There’s also the tale of how the camera lenses had to be positioned with painstaking precision so that they won’t extrude out of the housing, but also not too low to be effective at their job. It’s a minute detail that you will never know about unless someone (OPPO) tells you about it, precisely because the cameras blend almost seamlessly with the rest of the phone’s body.

Paying excruciating to details, even when those details will mostly be lost on most consumers, is a trait that is traditionally attributed to Apple, one of the best tech companies when it comes to product design acumen. Other phone brands like Samsung have also started talking more about these small details, sometimes to an exasperating degree. Others, on the other hand, force you to actually see and feel those small details to the point that the phone becomes a jumbled mess of discordant elements and design languages.

In contrast, OPPO aimed to hide those details and only talk about them as a side story of its journey. This left the Find X5 Pro with a minimalist and unified form that feels almost like a calm sound of silence in the midst of loud and obnoxious phone designs. Hopefully, the company’s future flagships will retain this nature-inspired DNA, and its futuristic manufacturing processes will become the future of its design lineage, especially since no one else seems to be keen on making the same odyssey.

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The Best of MWC 2022 – Product Design in a Mobile World

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The Mobile World Congress this year is unsurprisingly filled with phones and Metaverse references, but producers and consumers are thankfully becoming more aware of the deeper impact these products have in our lives and on the planet.

Next to CES, MWC is an auspicious time for companies to show off their wares, especially those related to smartphones, tablets, and even the new “Metaverse.” Despite the onslaught of COVID-19 since 2020, the smartphone market shows no signs of declining, at least to a significant degree. After two years, MWC 2022 sees a return to face-to-face exhibits and interactions that almost feels surreal given previous events. It’s not as jam-packed and as frantic as before, but that’s not the only thing that’s different this year. There’s also an increased consciousness of the role that thoughtful product design plays in improving people’s lives, both directly and indirectly through sustainable products.

Like every year, a few of these designs and products manage to grab our attention more strongly than others. Some through their design, others through their commitment to the environment, while others are just plain fun or useful. Without further ado, here is Yanko Design’s Top 8 picks for MWC 2022, ranked!

1. OPPO Find X5 Pro

They say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and some smartphones are regarded to be beautiful, mostly from the standpoint of people who love gadgets and tech products. They are well-designed, of course, but few would probably be standout to a designer as a thing of beauty. The OPPO Find X5 Pro breaks out of the mold in more ways than one.

The phone’s design takes minimalism to heart without going overboard and ditching features. The cameras are still there, but they aren’t as in your face as most camera bumps are these days. The structure rises so smoothly and so softly from the surface of the phone, like a dune in a desert after a sandstorm. You have a single continuous form that looks and feels unbroken, even with the camera holes and branding.

OPPO’s choice of ceramic material also brings joy to the hands. The white colorway exudes an atmosphere of peace, while the black finish pulls you into its dark depths and into a meditative state. Both are sleek and clean, even if the black does become a fingerprint magnet. Wiping off those smudges can itself even become a mindfulness practice.

What makes the OPPO Find X5 Pro’s understated beauty even more compelling is its relevance. We live very busy lives in an ever-changing world that’s still recovering from two chaotic years. Smartphones have become our faithful companions and weapons in navigating this world, but they have also become sources of stress and, in some cases, addiction. OPPO’s “futuristic” design actually goes back in time and back to the basics, offering an oasis of calmness and comfort for the eyes, the hands, and the mind.

Designer: OPPO

2. Realme GT2

Realme gets the silver medal for the GT2 and GT2 Pro phones not in the uniqueness of their designs but for the boldness of their statement. True, the Paper White and Paper Green models of these phones do have unique patterns and textures that try to recreate the look and feel of paper, but that pales in comparison to the message that the design is trying to send.

Taking inspiration from paper and other sustainable materials, Realme adopted a bio-based polymer to create the shell of these two colorways. Although the phone is far from being recyclable, the novel material significantly reduces the carbon emission overhead of producing these phones. The Realme GT2 is only the second of two phones boasting a TCO 9.0 certification for its positive impact on the environment.

This bio-based polymer might be a one-off thing, but Realme is at least making a lot of noise about its other efforts to create a greener tomorrow. Like many smartphone makers these days, it is reducing the amount of plastic in its packaging and increasing its use of sustainable materials. With the Realme GT2 series, it’s also committing to planting a tree for every phone sold. As one of the fastest-growing smartphone brands in the market, it has a big responsibility in creating awareness and doing its part to help protect the environment. It deserves major props for getting the ball rolling in this arena.

Designer: Naoto Fukasawa for Realme

3. TCL Ultra Flex

Foldable phones are going to be around for a while, even if they won’t become the future. The new experiences it enables are both exciting and challenging, especially for designers. We’re still a few hundred steps away from the perfect foldable screen, which makes it the perfect time for designers and manufacturers to play around with new ideas and test out prototypes.

Samsung and LG aren’t the only ones having fun with deformable screens, of course. TCL is right up there with some even crazier ideas that actually become working prototypes. It hasn’t sold any of that technology yet, though, or at least the flexible screens it has been developing. That gives it at least more time and leeway to bring more ideas to light, including this one it showed off at MWC 2022.

Foldable phones seem to have adopted Samsung’s “innie” design, where the flexible screen folds inward like a book, protected by the phone’s external frame. It’s not the only way to fold, of course, but it is currently the winner, despite requiring an extra screen on the outside to make the phone usable even when folded. Some think that allowing a screen to fold in and out would be the ideal option, leaving the owner to decide which method is best, and that’s exactly what the TCL Ultra Flex tries to do.

As a prototype, it’s not exactly the prettiest nor the most usable, but it does try to prove that it can be done. Of course, there remain many questions about its durability, not to mention its economy, but there’s plenty of time for the company to figure that out. Once it does, TCL will have the opportunity to shape the foldable device market and, consequently, shape the new experiences that these devices will offer.

Designer: TCL

4. Huawei MatePad Paper

Tablets are making a comeback, especially from the Android side. These increasingly larger slates are getting more powerful to the point that they are being positioned as laptop replacements. Tablets, however, do have new competition in the form of more powerful and more talented e-book readers, often called eReaders. Huawei, however, is putting a different spin on that idea and is targeting a very specific and probably niche market.

The Huawei MatePad Paper does come with the trappings of a typical e-book reader, one that uses the popular E-Ink display to give your eyes and the device’s battery a well-deserved reprieve. What makes this new contender different is that reading is actually just its secondary purpose. Its primary goal is to replace your paper notebook instead.

That is definitely a tall order, especially with so many expectations coming from die-hard pen and paper users. You can really only do so much to try and replicate the feel of pen or pencil writing on a material like paper using a plastic stylus nib and glass. Huawei has made a good approximation, but the MatePad Paper’s features try to make up for whatever flaw there is in that experience.

The Huawei MatePad Paper is designed primarily to be a notebook, and the software it has reflects that purpose. In addition to typical note-taking, it even has features for creating your own digital journal and copying content directly from a Huawei laptop. It can also record audio while you’re jotting down notes and play it back later when you need more than just a visual reminder. Its lightweight and portable design makes it an almost perfect companion to keep your design ideas and references, and its simpler functions, at least compared to a tablet, leave very little room for distractions as well.

Designer: Huawei

5. HTC Viverse

The Metaverse is everywhere, at least when it comes to marketing and buzzwords. Just like the early days of the cloud, the term is still a bit hard to qualify and quantify in its current form. This, of course, leaves the doors wide open for any interpretation, implementation, and vision. Despite its name, Meta, formerly known as Facebook, doesn’t have a monopoly on the Metaverse (at least not yet), and its rival in the VR space is putting down some stakes on the ground to claim a bit of that space.

HTC’s Viverse is still a work in progress, but its ambition is no less grand than others. Its Vive VR platform already laid the groundwork for some Metaverse-compatible experiences, like holding events and meetings in virtual worlds. It is also envisioning more interactive experiences, like buying or paying for goods using cryptocurrencies and, of course, buying NFT art.

What makes the Viverse more encompassing is that HTC isn’t stopping with its Vive VR platform. Ideally, the Metaverse experience will extend to almost any device with a screen, like a smartphone, a tablet, or even a computer with a web browser. Without this seamless cross-platform experience, the Metaverse will be limited to a few people that have no problems wearing headsets or eyewear all the time, which doesn’t really sound Metaverse-like.

Designer: HTC Vive

6. Lenovo ThinkPad X13s

Let’s face it, most laptop designs don’t exactly excite, especially when they look like any other laptop in the market. Although there are a few that do stand out, they are far and few in between. When Lenovo announced a host of new laptops at MWC 2022 this week, we almost gave it a pass, but one new entry piqued our curiosity in more ways than one.

The Lenovo ThinkPad X13s has the distinction of being the first ThinkPad to be powered by an ARM Snapdragon processor, a glowing recommendation considering the strength of Lenovo’s brand. With the attention that Apple’s M1 chip has been getting since it launched, there has been a great deal of interest in seeing more Windows laptops running on this platform.

What this means for designers is that the ThinkPad X13s will last longer than most other laptops on a single charge. This translates to longer working times away from a power outlet and more freedom to work the way they want. There are still some problems with app compatibility with Windows on ARM, but staples like Adobe’s suite and ZBrush are completely supported already.

The ThinkPad X13s also has a rather intriguing design that could be best described as a “reverse notch.” Instead of going the way of the latest MacBook Pro, Lenovo opted instead to have a bit of a lip at the top of the screen to accommodate the camera and security hardware. That said, the bezels around the screen are still on the thick side, so there doesn’t seem to be anything gained from that unusual design.

Designer: Lenovo

7. Prinker

We’ve already seen the Samsung-backed Prinker make its debut back in CES 2022 last January, and it has returned to once again show how well-thought design can also be fun and whimsical. Basically a handheld inkjet printer in the shape of a gigantic ink cartridge, Prinker offers almost endless fun in putting temporary tattoos on almost any part of your body.

What makes this product special is that it combines existing ideas and technologies in a way that creates a totally new experience, the marks of a great product design. Plus, it’s also fun and safe, a win-win situation for young people craving to add a bit of personalization and identity, even at the wildest of parties.

Designer: Prinker (Samsung)

8. Fauna

Sometimes, the best solutions are also the simplest and the most inconspicuous. That’s the kind of solution that Fauna’s audio sunglasses try to offer, solving multiple problems with a single and stylish product. Part eyewear and part open ear headphones, Fauna lets you enjoy your music while keeping safe and looking great, all at the same time.

This kind of integrated solution will be critical in the next few years, especially as technology becomes even more deeply embedded in our lives. Ordinary objects like eyeglasses, rings, and even clothing will soon be connected to a network thanks to technologies like 5G (or 6G even), flexible screens, and wearable circuitry. These, in turn, will pave the way for the so-called Metaverse to become as normal and as ordinary as the real universe.

Designer: Fauna

Wrap-up

Mobile technology and consumer devices have grown by leaps and bounds ever since the iPhone first came out more than a decade ago. Smartphones, tablets, and the accessories built around them have become almost unavoidable parts of modern life. There are no signs of things slowing down, which doesn’t bode well for humanity and the planet in the grand scheme of things. Fortunately, there are signs of things shifting for the better as well.

Just like at CES 2022, we saw positive indicators that both manufacturers and consumers are becoming more aware of how these devices have indirect effects on lives and the environment. From focusing on mental health in addition to physical fitness to embracing and promoting sustainable practices, the design of products, both physical and digital, are seemingly taking a turn for the better. While foldable phones, the Metaverse, and dozens of identical devices will continue to flood the market, there is at least some hope that the people pushing these products and technologies have grown more conscientious of the role they play in building a better future.

The post The Best of MWC 2022 – Product Design in a Mobile World first appeared on Yanko Design.

OPPO 5G CPE T2 Hub offers fast network speed and a sustainable design

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The power and potential of 5G haven’t really been achieved, but we can expect that in the coming years, more companies and tech giants will work together to make it happen. There are now dozens of 5G smartphones available in the market. 5G tablets are slowly joining the bandwagon. We’re hoping more 5G notebooks will also be ready in the near future.

Alongside these 5G devices, the 5G technology must also be checked, if not improved. This is happening; That is why we are also seeing other 5G gadgets, including this 5G Hub by OPPO. At this week’s Mobile World Congress in Barcelona (MWC 2022), OPPO has launched a number of new products. The OPPO 5G CPE T2 is built for the Internet experience. This 5G CPE device is not the first from the Chinese OEM. It’s a follow-up to the Omni and the OPPO 5G CPE T1.

Designer: OPPO

OPPO 5G CPE T2 Features

What makes this more interesting apart from the improved speed and other system enhancements is the fact that the company used recycled materials for the body. It also boasts an all-new design because, from a rectangular box, the new OPPO 5G hub is now a cylinder. The T2 also takes advantage of OPPO’s recent innovations, including the O-Reserve 2.0 smart antenna technology.

OPPO 5G CPE T2 MWC 2022

OPPO 5G CPE T2 Pricing

OPPO teamed up with Qualcomm to work on optimizations. The new 5G hub is poised to offer more stable and fast 5G connectivity. It’s mainly for home and office use, so you can now enjoy a 5G network as it is definitely more convenient and speedy compared to other Wi-Fi networks. It works well by converting the 5G signals into Wi-Fi or LAN connections. This way, multiple devices can connect.

OPPO 5G CPE T2 Featured Image

The 5G hub shares the 5G connection to more phones, tablets, and laptops at home or in other establishments. There may be areas that don’t have broadband but with 5G internet available. You can opt for the 5G network and just share connectivity with everyone.

This thing runs on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X62 5G Modem-RF system. OPPO did some optimizations to it, so data transfer speeds are faster. Compared to the platform’s baseline speed, the T2 is 20% faster. With additional research and collaboration with Qualcomm, OPPO can offer ultimate connectivity. The Snapdragon modem used enables the hub to work with numerous devices operating in different networks and markets.

The new antenna used by OPPO here is the O-Reserve 2.0 smart antenna technology. It’s able to keep high antenna gain in all directions, thanks to the eight antennas receiving signals. Only four antennas are actually used at once, depending on the signal strength and quality. The result is a super-fast downlink speed.

To compare, OPPO tested the speed when the O-reserve 2.0 is turned on/off. When enabled, download speed is faster by ten percent. OPPO also has the Wi-Fi Channel Selection Technology working and monitoring network channels in real-time. The goal is to always select the channels offering the fastest connection; that is why the hub is always at work.

OPPO’s latest 5G hub offers an innovative design and a sustainable build. It is easy-to-use and is very reliable if you’re really demanding a fast Internet connection. Its form makes it an artistic conversation starter, whether indoor or outdoor. It seems smart hubs and devices like the OPPO T2 are going for the minimalist look, and this one is a perfect example.

The cylindrical body in pure white color is a testament to the brand’s minimal design philosophy. The device comes with a textured surface which makes it stain-resistant and dust-proof. The hub’s simple form makes it an elegant gadget that can fit any interior. It definitely won’t be an eyesore with its simple but beautiful design.

OPPO 5G CPE T2 Where to Buy

The OPPO T2’s shape isn’t just for aesthetics. It serves a purpose as there is a central ring suction ventilator inside that helps dissipate the heat. When it comes to such a device, heat dissipation is important because long hours of non-stop usage can make it really warm. Gadgets heat up, but there are now effective cooling systems that can be implemented. If device components are working properly and are not heating up, the antenna and system performance will work as intended.

OPPO 5G CPE T2 Release

OPPO is starting to become friendlier with the environment. The materials used on the T2 are Post-Consumer Recycled Plastic, at least, on the body. This means OPPO is doing its part by supporting sustainability initiatives and helping to reduce carbon emissions. It’s about time these big OEMs help Mother Nature by working more on sustainability. Sustainable design is possible now without the quality being compromised, so we’re all in for this campaign.

OPPO 5G CPE T2 Availability

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OPPO Find X5 Pro design that brings a bit of calm to a chaotic mobile market

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Smartphones are trying to stand apart from each other but end up looking like one another, but OPPO has seemingly stumbled upon a form that is both unique but also soothing to the eyes and the mind.

Smartphones are probably the last thing you’d consider to be a calming product. Quite the opposite, these are devices immediately associated with work, communication, games, and the Internet, activities and things that are anything but calming. Even Apple’s iPhones, regarded by some as the epitome of good phone design, are not something its fans would call soothing. That’s what makes the OPPO Find X5 Pro’s design one-of-a-kind in that it actually evokes those emotions, at least when you look at it from the back.

Designer: OPPO

Most phone owners will see the front of the device the majority of the time, though all that other people will see is the back of your phone. That’s why many phone makers pay special attention to the design of that part of the phone, and many cases and stickers exist to embellish it. To some extent, that rear is the part of the phone that shows its personality the most and also reflects the owner’s personality the most.

In that light, the OPPO Find X5 Pro can easily be pegged as a design-conscious phone. Sure, there are tons of “designer phones,” including exorbitant editions from the likes of Caviar, but the phone embraces one of the biggest trends in design circles that very few phones can boast of. While many phone brands would claim their latest flagship to be minimalist, OPPO’s latest product exemplifies it.

The Find X5 Pro doesn’t have a camera bump in the traditional sense that it has been designed on other phones. There is no distinct and separate part that houses the camera hardware, only a literal bump that gently slopes up like a perfectly smooth dune. There are no other marks on the back of the phone except for the customary OPPO brandings.

The effect is that you have a design that’s visually whole and unbroken except in the camera holes. Even then, there are no protruding parts that break that illusion. That slope’s elevation is so gradual and smooth that, at certain angles, your eyes might be tricked into thinking there isn’t a bump at all. Contrast that with other phones whose camera arrays are like screaming for attention. Even the Galaxy S22 Ultra, which does remove the bump, has distinct circles for the cameras that leave your eyes jumping from one point to the next.

It’s easy to take this design shift for granted, and some buyers definitely will. When OPPO introduced the first iteration of this design language last year, however, it was trying to evoke those exact emotions of calmness and serenity with a visually minimalist and holistic design. OPPO’s choice of pure white and pure black colors also helps in radiating a Zen-like character, and its strategy seems to have finally paid off this year.

The OPPO’s mission to provide a comforting experience in the midst of the uncertainties of this age doesn’t stop at the looks. The Find X5 Pro uses ceramic for its back instead of the typical glass, a material that is not unheard of but not commonly used because it is harder to handle during the manufacturing process. Ceramic, however, has certain advantages over glass, and not just in durability.

As a tactile material, ceramic is warm to the touch, unlike cold glass. At the same time, it doesn’t get too hot when the phone works overtime. Bottom line, it adds comfort and warmth when holding the phone, which helps achieve that design goal even when you can’t see the back of the phone.

This doesn’t mean that the OPPO Find X5 Pro is all about aesthetics and design, though. As a true premium flagship, it crams some of the best hardware in its sleek body. It also has quite a formidable set of cameras, making it a tempting tool to add to a designer’s arsenal.

Almost all smartphone makers will naturally wax philosophical about their designs and their advanced manufacturing processes. There’s no denying that, even with those bulky camera modules, some are actually beautiful to behold. There are also others that appeal to certain design inclinations, like a cyberpunk-themed phone or a gaming phone that mimics a colorful gaming PC. Most phones are designed to excite. Few are made to calm.

The OPPO Find X5 Pro was intentionally designed to address not just the technical pain points of people today but also the emotional ones. Removing the conventional metal plate that houses the phone’s cameras isn’t an earth-shattering change, but the little modifications here and there do add up. In this particular case, it has helped create a design that looks whole and unbroken, creating a stabilizing presence in the middle of a fast-paced and fast-changing world.

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OPPO Air Glass is what the Google Glass wishes it became when it grew up…

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In a space where tech giants are eyeing the gold rush of augmented and mixed reality dream, OPPO is taking a detour of its own to craft assisted reality display that looks more exciting and practical for heaven’s sake!

At the annual INNO Day 2021 event, the Chinese company has introduced a cool-looking wearable that takes a very distinct approach to the concept of smart glasses. In fact, it is a monocle worn on one side of the custom glass frame to interact with the world around in a non-intrusive manner. Called the OPPO Air Glass, the lightweight wearable is built to display important information at a glance, not obstructing the real-world view in any way. OPPO likes to categorize this smart glass as an assisted reality (or aR) wearable rather than one that’s close to augmented reality. That’s because of the 2D information projected in the field of view of the user as opposed to overlaying the 3D objects.

Air Glass will be a more practical option for the speculated Apple Glasses, and the Google Glass which didn’t entice geeky users that much. The OPPO’s version is made for delivering simpler but timely information in a very non-obstructive way by attaching (via magnetic ports) to a more conventional glass frame. Things like step-by-step navigation while biking, real-time translation (for Chinese, English and Japanese), calendar alerts, weather updates, fitness tracking data, and even teleprompter applications. Users can interact with the monocle glass with voice, hand gestures, head movements and the touch of the fingers.

According to OPPO the lens measures just 0.7mm thick and is inspired by the wings of a cicada. Waveguide display on the Air Glass has a tiny projector -measuring the size of a coffee bean – with Spark Micro Projector to beam monochrome content (in 16-level grayscale or 256-level grayscale) that won’t hurt your eyes with constant usage. The wearable weighing just 30g is powered by the Qualcomm Wear 4100 SoC. It has a battery backup of three hours on active usage and 40 hours on standby.

The cool monocle glass will come in two frame design options, a silver half-frame or a black full-frame in either black or white color options. OPPO Air Glass will be available initially only for Chinese users in limited numbers by the Q1 2022 for an undisclosed price tag.

Designer: OPPO

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OPPO’s new “O” headquarters by Bjarke Ingels show how architecture + typography are a perfect match

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In what could be an incredible branding move, OPPO’s new headquarter design will adorn the Hangzhou skyline with a massive O. Envisioned by Bjarke Ingels Group, the headquarters are described as an “infinity loop” shaped skyscraper that “connects [the] ground to sky in a continuous loop of collaboration”.

The larger-than-life O-Tower is representative of OPPO‘s status as China’s largest smartphone manufacturer. The upper and lower surfaces of the O remain flattened, creating what feels like a möbius strip that represents Oppo’s infinite potential and innovative spirit.

The O-Tower will be located in Hangzhou’s Future Sci-Tech City, within the Zhejiang province of China. Its purpose will be to primarily serve as an R&D building for the smartphone company while acting as an “iconic landmark and gateway” to the business district.

The O-Tower lights up after sundown, creating a magnificent letter-O in Hangzhou’s skyline at night. Not only does it serve as an iconic landmark within the city, but it also helps reinforce Oppo’s brand through the incredible architecture.

Meanwhile, the front and the top view look equally stunning in the day, creating a rather memorable piece of architecture that’s both iconic and awe-inspiring. The tower is expected to be built alongside a natural lake and a 10,000 square-meter park.

The O-Tower creates a pretty stunning entrance into the building as you walk right through the alphabet into a large circular courtyard populated with greenery. “The central oasis and the surrounding [Hangzhou] wetland park expands the public realm into the heart of the complex,” explained Bjarke Ingels, founder of the Denmark-based architecture studio BIG.

“The compact form folding in on itself provides large flexible floorplates with the daylight access and fresh air of a slender tower”, says Ingels. The O-Tower’s lower floors will contain exhibition spaces, conference areas, and a canteen, while the offices located on the floors above will be joined with a series of triple-height spaces under the sloping facade of the tower’s roof. On the outside, the building will be wrapped in an adaptive louvre facade, featuring slanted slats that almost look like the building has fingerprints. These facades, however, will play an important role in minimizing solar glare. “The adaptive louvered facade omits incoming solar glare and thermal heat gain, enhancing the passive performance of the building”, says Ingels, who’s studio BIG began working with the Chinese smartphone manufacturer at the beginning of 2019 to envision the R&D Building’s design and master plan.

Designer: Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) for OPPO