OPPO A94 lands in Singapore

OPPO, the global smart device brand, has launched the OPPO A94 in Singapore.

The OPPO A94 is packaged in a simple, slender design that uses OPPO’s new Flowing Light Design concept. Designed for trend seekers who are looking for a powerful, yet durable device that boasts a mix of fun, the OPPO A94 comes with new video features that enable users to capture memories and moments from more than one perspective, and with the personal and creative touch.

“OPPO’s A Series is popular with trendsetters as a phone that is tailored to not only enhance their love for social life and ambitions at study and work, but also represents their personal style,” said Dylan Yu, Marketing Director, OPPO Singapore.

Source: OPPO. The OPPO A94 is now on sale in Singapore.

“OPPO A94 is the culmination of both user feedback and the extensive research conducted on the latest technology. OPPO A94 not only captures momentous occasions from multiple perspectives, but it also comes with a higher battery capacity and 30 W VOOC Flash Charge 4.0 that makes the phone a great companion for our users. We are excited to introduce and get OPPO A94 into the hands of Singapore customers,” said Jeremy Tan, Product Manager, OPPO Singapore.

OPPO A94 offers a bigger battery capacity and is faster than its predecessors. The new phone features a set of 48 MP quad cameras with a 48 MP main camera. To add depth to photos and videos, the main camera works in concert with an 8 MP ultra wide-angle camera, 2 MP macro camera and 2 MP monochrome camera. The other side of the phone is accented by a 32 MP front-facing camera.

To add flair to videos:

- AI Color Portrait is getting an upgrade on OPPO A94. Like its photography variant, AI Color Portrait Video works by recognising the person in the video shot. OPPO A94 can intelligently distinguish the person from their background. The person in the shot is then highlighted with enhanced and bright colours, while a monotone black or white filter is applied to the background to ensure that the subject of the portrait stands out.

- Monochrome Video highlights and enhances a single RGB colour in any shot, while filtering out all other colour palettes, adding a splash of drama to the footage by juxtaposing contrasting colors.

- Dual-View Video records footage from the front-facing and rear cameras simultaneously.

- EIS Steady Video, running behind the scenes, will also make sure that the footage is stable and usable.

- Finally, a video is not complete without an easy way of stitching it together with Soloop. Users can easily edit videos with filters, subtitles and music into shareable movie-quality clips.

Creative photography help includes:

During both day and night, OPPO A94 can apply motion blur to the background and superimposes one of two photography effects.

- Dynamic Bokeh adds a bokeh effect that stretches light into streaks, while obscuring background details. The photo’s subject in the foreground is treated with a low-light HDR algorithm and colour tuning so that they stand out.

- Night Flare Portrait, on the other hand, can add round lens flares to the background without overpowering the subject of the portrait.

- AI Color Portrait also makes its return in OPPO A94, along with AI Beautification 2.0 to individually enhance natural beauty, including facial contours and skin colours of a person or group in a shot.

- OPPO A94 also recognises 20 types of landscape shots with AI Scene Enhancement 2.0 and improves the colour saturation and contrast ratio pixel-by-pixel.

OPPO has ensured that the phone feels great in hand and fits snugly in the pockets. With this model, the body is 7.8 mm thick and weighs 172 g. It is rounded out with a curved 3D battery cover that is only 0.55 mm thick, while the screen dissipates heat through a 0.1 mm graphite plate.

OPPO A94's shock and drop resistance has been enhanced by optimising the stacking of small motherboard components and by strengthening the protection of its structural components.

Flowing Light Design on OPPO A94 uses a composite panel on the back cover that adds a high degree of transparency comparable to glass, yet conveying a complex matte and glossy texture that is glare-free. Fluid Black showcases a black light-to-dark gradient whose colour resembles a fading ink blot in water. OPPO A94 is also available in Fantastic Purple.

OPPO A94 comes with a 6.43" hole-punch AMOLED display that sports a large 90.8% screen-to-body ratio and In-Display Fingerprint 3.0 through a convenient fingerprint reader that sits under the display for quick unlocking of the phone.

All-day AI Eye Comfort leverages 4,096 brightness levels to protect the eyes of the users. OPPO A94’s Sunlight Screen auto adjusts its brightness based on the user’s preference and ambient light exposure. At night or in a dimly-lit environment, Moonlight Screen lowers the brightness setting to offer a comfortable viewing experience.

OPPO A94 introduces a larger 4,310 mAh battery and 30 W VOOC Flash Charge 4.0 technology. Users can now get 16 hours of online video playback on a single charge. When the battery is nearly depleted, 30 W VOOC Flash Charge 4.0 reliably charges OPPO A94. A five-minute charge will allow users to watch YouTube for 2.9 hours.

OPPO A94 also comes with All-day Smart Power Saving that offers several power-saving modes. For instance, Super Power Saving Mode conserves battery by decreasing the CPU frequency, lowering the phone’s brightness and more, so the last 5% of battery life on the phone will run smoothly. Super Nighttime Standby identifies and adjusts to the user’s bedtime routine to make sure that the battery life only decreases by 2% during the night. In addition, for nighttime charging, 30 W VOOC Flash Charge 4.0 has a safety measure that prevents overcharging with Battery Guard.

While phones are known to slow down over time after prolonged use, OPPO A94 has taken measures to slow down the typical aging processes with System Performance Optimiser. This proprietary technology offers 10 optimisation features and ensures that the phone runs at optimal performance without lagging for a longer period.

For example, Idle Time Optimiser can recognise when the phone is not being used or charged and optimise its system resources accordingly by cleaning up the trash, defragmenting the disk, cleaning up the memory, and more. When the phone is low on storage, Storage Optimiser notifies users to delete or migrate data to the cloud to free up space. UI First 3.0 ensures that the resources for the most-used apps are prioritised so that the phone can run at optimal performance.

OPPO A94 runs at optimal performance thanks to its MediaTek Helio P95 Octa-core Processor. This runs on two ARM Cortex-A75 Prime Cores that operate at up to 2.2 GHz. Six ARM Cortex-A55 Efficiency Cores also operate at up to 2.0 GHZ.

Gaming with smooth graphics, optimised network latency and Real HD Sound powered by Dirac are all enabled by the processor. In addition, OPPO A94 comes with a baked-in Cooling System that is tailored to optimally dissipate heat emitted by resource-intensive games.

OPPO A94’s suite of gaming modes also makes sure that messages are delivered without completely interrupting the gaming experience. Game Focus Mode for instance is a feature exclusive to OPPO that blocks all notifications including calls, gestures and even on-screen volume prompts. Gaming Shortcut Mode reduces the time it takes to cold-start previously-opened games by cutting out background resources that would otherwise need to be loaded, splash screens that feature studio logos, and even game walkthroughs.

For multi-taskers, Game Floating Window will show the gameplay as a minimised screen without exiting the game entirely. Instead, the game continues running as a floating window on-screen so users can reply to emails or catch up on an urgent task for work. Finally, Bullet Screen Message is a convenient middle ground for mobile gamers that cannot afford to block out notifications entirely. Instead, messages from supported apps including WhatsApp, Telegram, LINE, Messenger and SMS are displayed across the screen, but does not force open popups or interfere with the gameplay with notifications.

For users who would like to reply to an email or WhatsApp message without closing an app, FlexDrop simply minimises the app’s window and allow the app to continue running as a thumbnail on the home screen. At the office, sharing documents quickly and efficiently can sometimes be cumbersome. Nearby Sharing on OPPO A94 takes care of this problem by enabling users to share documents seamlessly and directly with other OPPO users nearby. They can also capture screenshots and instantly translate its content with Three-finger Translate via Google Lens.

OPPO A94 offers security and privacy features that are strictly designed to retrieve data or keep it away from prying eyes. OPPO’s Private Safe allows access to HeyTap Cloud so users can retrieve personal data from lost phones. Further, App Lock will allow full control over which apps can or cannot be accessed by other users. Screencast Privacy Shield is also useful, limiting banner notifications and drawer messages, while also filtering out messages that should not be mirrored on-screen.

Details:

Early bird offers for the OPPO A94 end 28 March. All early bird purchases from the OPPO online Lazada Flagship store will get free OPPO Enco W11 earbuds valued at S$79. The early bird sale gift is exclusively for purchases on the OPPO online Lazada Flagship store.

OPPO A94 will be officially on sale at a retail price of S$429 from 27 March in Singapore. It will come with 8 GB RAM and 128 GB storage. Buy at the OPPO concept store, OPPO online Lazada and Shopee Flagship stores, and from authorised resellers islandwide.

OPPO launches Find X3 Pro flagship smartphone

During the virtual launch of the OPPO Find X3 Pro, OPPO showcased the kind of pictures that can be taken with the 1 billion-colour dual primary cameras. 

Smart device brand OPPO officially launched its latest smartphone, the Find X3 Pro, continuing its expansion into the high-end Android market.

Built on the success of the Find X2 Pro, the new OPPO Find X3 Pro combines the Find X series’ human-centric design with best-in-class technology. The new addition to the Find X Series includes a sophisticated design, industry-leading display, and all-round camera system.

The Find X3 Pro is the world’s first Android phone to capture, process and display 1 billion colour images, thanks to OPPO’s Full-path Colour Management System.

“For the past 10 years, OPPO has continually set trends, created benchmarks and surpassed industry standards with its Find X Series smartphones. OPPO’s designers and engineers pour the most innovative technologies and latest product design thinking into every one of our products.

"We want to empower our users with the capability to explore further and achieve more, and the Find X3 Pro embodies this spirit with stunning aesthetics and a human-centric user experience,” shared Lie Liu, President of Global Marketing, CMO of Chinese Mainland at OPPO.

The Find X3 Pro sets a new standard in smartphone excellence with its billion-colour capability, both in terms of photography and display. It is also equipped with a futuristic design, flagship Qualcomm power and best-in-class VOOC Flash Charging technology.

With a quad-camera system, the possibilities of capturing video and photos include wide-angle landscapes as well as microscopic nuances in detail.

To ensure the phone comes with superb audio quality, award-winning composer Hans Zimmer was asked to create new ringtones and notifications for the Find X3 Pro.

OPPO announces photography exhibition in Singapore

Smart device provider OPPO has launched its latest flagship smartphone, the OPPO Find X3 Pro, championing colour and rich, visual experiences as their takeaways from the new family.

OPPO’s 10-bit Full-path Colour Management System offers a billion-colour point of view, so photos and videos are more vibrant and true-to-life.

OPPO has also announced its first-ever photography exhibition, Painting With Light, in conjunction with the smartphone launch. 

Held at the ArtScience Museum in Singapore from 10 April to 16 May 2021, the exhibition will showcase works captured using the 10-bit colour depth of the Find X3 Pro by local photographers Wilfred Lim, Venus Oh, Kimberly Kiong and Adele Chan.

Working with these photographers takes OPPO’s long-term commitment of supporting creatives through the brand’s OPPO Maker initiative a step further. OPPO previously collaborated with film-makers and musiciansfor its Reno series. This is the first time the company has extended to the Find series.

Painting With Light explores the use of angles in photography, at an aerial, macro and eye-level. Lim shared, “As a photographer, working with colours has always been important to me and I’m always looking for ways to bring out colours in the best way possible in my photographs.

"It is an honour to have been selected as one of the photographers working with OPPO Singapore on this #AwakenColour campaign and to showcase the different colours of Singapore at the ‘Painting With Light’ exhibition. 

Source: OPPO. A work by Lim.

“Using the new OPPO Find X3 Pro has been revolutionary for my works. The colours of the photos that I have captured using the phone are not only vibrant and crisp, but true to what we see in real life – definitely awakening our senses to a wider range of colours.”

Painting with Light also features works from the community. In early March, OPPO allowed the public to sign up for an opportunity to trial the OPPO Find X3 Pro and discover the colour palettes of Singapore. Pictures from selected participants will be part of the exhibition as well.

Dylan Yu, Marketing Director, OPPO Singapore said, “At OPPO, we’re always looking into ways we can provide users with state-of-the-art experiences and with the Find X3 Pro, we’re excited to bring users on a billion colour journey. Through the consumer trial, we hope to empower our users to #AwakenColour and create moments of beauty that can be shared with the wider community."

OPPO separately announced the 2121 Future Photography Project, a photography campaign that invites OPPO users from around the world to send a message to the future, with image-led stories that they believe will resonate 100 years from now.

Derek Sun, Global Senior Director, Brand and PR, OPPO called the project "a time capsule of memories, moments and emotions frozen in time from 2021" during the global virtual launch of the Find X3 Pro.

"We want people to experience their history - our present - in vibrant, intense, detail," he explained.

The 2121 Future Photography Project encourages people to share their everyday moments, the people around them, their space, places or natural environment, or plants and animals that mean a lot to them. It is a callout to capture the good things and special moments in life, and to always hope for a better future, OPPO said.

The campaign will take place on Instagram from April. People are encouraged to share a single or multiple photos about nature and humanity tagged with #dearfuture2121, and stand to win prizes.

OPPO will select 200 photos and stories to feature on its global website. A team of professional photographers will choose 50 winning sets of images at the end of June.

Hashtags: #AwakenColour, #dearfuture2121, #shotonOPPO

OPPO lists nine tips for taking better photos

Source: OPPO. Manage shutter speed,
a night view of the Dubai skyline.
Shot by Jolie on the OPPO
Reno4 Pro 5G.

OPPO has come up with photography tips in conjunction with the launch of its new Reno4 Pro 5G smartphone. Boasting a quad rear camera including a Sony 12 MP Ultra Night wide-angle video lens and beautification capabilities the flagship variant of the Reno4 Series is designed to enable amazing captures in challenging low-light, backlight or bright light conditions.

UAE-based Pixelville Photographer Jumana Jolie collaborated with OPPO to share her top nine tricks for capturing memories using a good camera smartphone:

1.  Frame the shot

Use the rule of thirds to frame the elements in a shot for more visually captivating photographs. Using the Reno4 Pro 5G's camera, imagine your image is divided into a nine-square grid with horizontal and vertical lines. Position the subject along any of the lines or an intersection of the lines and leave the other two-thirds of the frame relatively open. This off-centre positioning prompts the viewer's eye to sweep the entire photograph.

2.  Create a sense of depth

Capturing a panoramic view in a room is easy with the OPPO Reno4 Pro 5G's Sony IMX708 wide-angle lenses. Always consider placing a person or object in the foreground to give a sense of scale and highlight the depth of the room.

3.  Don't use flash

Forget about flash if you are indoors in cosy lighting. For night or low-light shots, work in your smartphone's pro mode and increase the ISO of the camera. The higher the ISO, the faster the camera sees the scene with the available light. Ultra Dark Mode on OPPO's Reno4 Pro 5G is triggered automatically when taking a photo in a dimly-lit environment thanks to the smartphone's triple laser detection auto-focus (LDAF) rear camera. OPPO's Reno4 Pro 5G auto focuses in low light conditions faster, by 142%.

4.  Let there be light

Allow more light into your shot by increasing the aperture and capture the natural beauty of the colours and décor of the season. With a steady focus, your subjects and the lights will pop, while leaving the background in shadow, resulting a beautifully balanced photo. The OPPO Reno4 Pro 5G can do this and more, due to its triple rear camera including a 48 MP main camera, 12 MP Ultra Night wide-angle video lens and a 13 MP telephoto lens that supports 5x hybrid optical zoom and up to 20x digital zoom. In addition, the 32 MP selfie beauty camera, powered by AI Portrait and Ultra Steady Video algorithms, enables outstanding selfies.

5.  Try HDR mode

For group shots and landscapes, turn on the phone's High Dynamic Range (HDR) mode. This allows the camera to take multiple shots at different exposures and merge them together to get the best detail in both the brightest as well as darkest areas of the shot. Using OPPO's latest HDR video algorithm, the Reno4 Pro 5G can adjust the exposure based on the lighting to achieve a wider dynamic range while taking a photo. OPPO's latest smartphone can also record every detail in a portrait even if the subject is backlit, or in high contrast scenes like sunrise and sunset while transitioning naturally between highlights and shadows.

6.  Manage Shutter Speed

When walking through a festive market with brightly lit displays of stationary reindeers, snowmen and Santa, slow your shutter speed and allow more exposure time, capturing the full beauty of the light display. The triple-camera setup in the Reno4 Pro 5G enables you to take high-quality photos and videos without concerning about motion blur, lighting, or distance.

7.  Close quarters

Keep your subject close to the camera. Staying close to the subject will increase the blur in parts of the image that are out of focus (bokeh), thus capturing your subject in full detail. Supported by Reno4 Pro 5G's rear triple camera, the Ultra Dark Mode is triggered automatically when taking a photo in a dimly-lit environment. The camera automatically brightens the dark environment, so photos are clearer, even when there is just 1 lux of light.

8.  A full frame

Fill your frame with everything that you are trying to capture, including some negative space or reflective surfaces. Shiny surfaces improve photos by softly reflecting the lights, so choose appropriate props. OPPO Reno4 Pro 5G's Sony ultra-wide angle makes sure everything fits within your frame.

9.  Stay steady

Use the support of the wall behind you or balance your phone hand with your other hand to make sure you stay still long enough take a blur-free shot. Alternatively, use the phone's timer and set it down on a table or a pile of books. OPPO Reno4 Pro 5G's Ultra Steady 3.0 brings superior electronic image stabilisation to your shots; and the camera will automatically choose the proper exposure.

Other OPPO Reno4 Pro 5G feature highlights include Ultra-Steady Mode, Smart Slow Motion and Cinematic Mode.

The Reno4 series is design-led. There are three variants headlined by the Reno4 Pro 5G, followed by the Reno4 Pro and Reno4. All three phones boast the Reno series' aesthetic of a slim and light build, AMOLED screens, fast charging, and the latest and best in camera technology. The series also boasts unique night portrait and night wide-angle video features that encourage users to explore their creativity.

- The starter Reno4 model has exclusive artificial intelligence (AI)-powered features and comes in three colours including the exclusive Nebula Purple. It has a price tag of AED1,499.

- The Reno4 Pro adds extended functionality with 256 GB storage and super-fast charging in 36 minutes. It also has a 3D curved Borderless Sense display for a more elegant feel and is available for AED1,999.

- The Reno4 Pro 5G brings next-gen connectivity at 5G speeds. Thin and light, the premium model has a curved 3D screen and a patented diamond-cutting Reno Glow technique applied to its Galactic Blue chassis. The OPPO Reno4 Pro 5G is available at key retailers and e-commerce platforms across the UAE, priced at AED 2,499.

OPPO enables Singaporeans to #UncoverTheUltimate experience

Global smart device provider OPPO last week unveiled its latest suite of smartphones which see the brand’s first 5G offering, the Find X2 Pro 5G, and an addition to its creative Reno series, the Reno3.

The unveiling comes off the back of the brand’s global online launch of the Find X2 series on March 6. Boasting a 120 Hz QHD AMOLED screen, the fastest 65 W SuperVOOC Flash Charge 2.0 technology, and powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, the Find X2 Pro delivers an upgraded wholistic photography and video experience.

In addition, OPPO Singapore’s 1st 5G offering is equipped with the Ultra Vision Camera System, featuring a combination of a 48 MP wide-angle lens, 48 MP ultrawide-angle lens and a 13 MP periscope telephoto camera that allows for the phone’s 10x hybrid zoom and 60x digital zoom capabilities.

Combined with the customised IMX689 sensor exclusively created by Sony, the phone’s All Pixel Omni-directional phase detection autofocus (PDAF) technology achieves 100% pixel focusing and makes it the first smartphone to support 12-bit photo capture.

“OPPO is dedicated to delivering the best products to enhance the lives of our users,” shared Moon Yue, CEO, OPPO Singapore. “With the Find X2 Pro we are looking to provide users with a wholistic 5G experience that we believe will set a new standard for flagship smartphones.”

Source: OPPO. The Reno3 Series has two models.

The Reno3 Series comprises the Reno3 and the Reno3 Pro. Powered by the all new ColorOS 7, the Reno3 features a 44 MP front camera while the Reno3 Pro packs OPPO’s latest technology advances and outstanding photography into the world’s first 44 MP + 2 MP Dual Punch-hole Super AMOLED display. The sensors for a punch-hole camera resides in a hole that has been created in the display, which is considered less distracting for users than creating a notch that disrupts the rectangular outline of a display.

The Reno3 is ideal for anyone looking to capture great images under any lighting condition. It has a 48 MP Ultra-Clear Main Camera, 8 MP Ultra Wide-Angle lens that captures 109-degree images, 13 MP Telephoto lens, and 2 MP Mono lens.

The Reno3 Pro runs on MediaTek’s Helio P95, a chipset with an artificial intelligence (AI) processing engine for 4G smartphones. Premium photography experiences that can be enjoyed include enhanced portrait photography, fast secure facial recognition and full-body movement tracking.

The Reno3 Pro also comes with a 64 MP Zoom Quadcam which includes a 64 MP Ultra-clear Main Camera, 13 MP Telephoto Lens, 8 MP Ultra Wide-Angle lens and 2 MP Mono Lens. Both phones feature Optical-Flow Sub-Pixel Registration which matches and calibrates the sub-pixels on different frames to generate a lower-pixel original image with more information. With Subpixel Interpolation, the original image is then transformed into a high-resolution image of up to 108 MP.

In the front, the Reno 3’s 44 MP Ultra-Clear Main Camera and Reno3 Pro’s 44 MP+2 MP Dual Punch-hole technology deliver high-definition, natural selfies. OPPO has added Ultra Night Mode in the front cameras. Ultra Night Selfie Mode guarantees facial clarity and brightness in dim light. Reno3 Pro’s dual lens bokeh also enables better image matting and background gradients for selfies.

As with its predecessors, the Reno3 series also features Ultra Dark Mode, 5x Hybrid Zoom, 20x Digital Zoom as well as Ultra Steady Video 2.0.

Details:

• The Find X2 Pro 5G comes in Black (Ceramic) and Orange (Vegan Leather) with 12 GB RAM and 512 GB ROM. It costs S$1,699. The phone will be available for preorder  till 27 March on OPPO’s Shopee Flagship Store and at all OPPO Concept Stores.

• Customers who preorder the Find X2 will receive a NESCAFE Dolce Gusto Lumio Coffee Machine worth SS$219, a pair of OPPO Enco Free Headphones worth SS$189.

• The phone will be available islandwide from 28 March at Singtel, StarHub and M1 stores, OPPO Concept Stores, OPPO Shopee and Lazada Flagship Stores. It is covered by OPPO’s international warranty.

• The Reno3 will be available in Midnight Black and Sky White with 8 GB RAM and 128 GB ROM. It costs S$499. The phone will be available islandwide from 28 March.

• The Reno3 Pro will come in Auroral Blue and Midnight Black with 8 GB RAM and 256 GB ROM and will be available from 10 April.

• OPPO will be conducting a trade-in programme for OPPO users as well as select phone brands that will see discounts of up to S$1,000 for selected models. More information can be found at OPPO’s Facebook Page (@oppo).

• As part of its efforts to enable Singaporeans to #UncoverTheUltimate Experience, OPPO will be conducting the #UncoverTheUltimate Consumer Trial that will see Singaporeans have the chance to try before they buy.

Hashtag: #UncoverTheUltimate

Oppo ad makes it to Youtube's 2018 top 10

Source: PFT. Oppo F7 ad becomes favourite Youtube video.

A TV campaign for Oppo has become No. 3 on YouTube's 10 most watched ads in 2018.

Prime Focus Technologies (PFT), the technology arm of Prime Focus, conceptualised and produced the ad, which presents childhood supporters of four of the best cricketers in the world, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya and R. Ashwin.

The narrative depicts how real support makes real heroes and weaves in the Oppo F7 as a selfie expert.

Filming locations included Johannesburg, South Africa, as well as New Delhi and Pune in India.

Pranav Chaturvedi, Associate VP - Creative Services, PFT said, “Through this film, we have tried to recount stories of the unsung heroes who have been instrumental in shaping some of the nation’s most fantastic cricketers. For us, the biggest challenge lay in recreating scenes from 20 years ago with authenticity and accuracy. Keeping in mind each player’s hometown, we tried to give viewers a feel that is as close to reality as is cinematically possible."

Since its release on 29 March, 2018, the Oppo F7 video was aired on digital media as well as television, crossing landmark viewership figures in the first month. At the time of writing the video had 31.7 million views.

Details:

Watch the video

OPPO launches R17 series in Singapore

New "three-colour and bi/quad-direction" gradient design using a light-condensing layer that enables light to flow on the surface of the device

Corning Gorilla Glass 6 with a 91.5% screen-to-body ratio made possible with the Waterdrop screen design and Hidden Fingerprint Unlock for the R17 Pro

R17 Pro also carries SuperVOOC flash charging technology that fully charges the phone in 50 minutes and takes 10 minutes to charge the phone by 40% 

The R17 and R17 Pro feature a software-based AI Ultra-clear Engine that allows users to take high-quality night photos

The OPPO R17.

OPPO Singapore has launched the R17 series, the first market to do so following the Shanghai, China launch in August. The global smartphone brand introduced the R17 and R17 Pro at an event themed Seize the Night, complete with bespoke beverages and a chance to test the Ultra-night mode camera setting at a photo booth as part of the launch experience.

 “At OPPO, we aim to create products that represent the perfect combination of design and technology whilst incorporating the ‘beauty’ element in all our products. Utilising this concept, we have crafted two new masterpieces, the R17 and R17 Pro that integrate new and powerful technological innovations to bring to users competitive, cutting edge smartphones,” said Moon Yue, MD, OPPO Singapore.

OPPO marries aesthetics and craftsmanship in its phones. OPPO introduced gradient colours in the chassis of the Nebula Purple R15. The R17 introduces a new three-colour and bi/quad direction gradient design using a light-condensing layer that enables light to flow on the surface of the device. The colours change subtly depending on the angle and direction of view.

The R17 series adopts Corning Gorilla Glass 6 for the first time, with a 91.5% screen-to-body ratio and Hidden Fingerprint Unlock for the R17 Pro. The Corning Gorilla Glass 6 is able to withstand a drop from a 1 m height to a rough surface for an average of 15 times, double the durability of Gorilla Glass 5.

The R17 Pro also carries SuperVOOC flash charging technology, allowing users to enjoy the safest and most efficient charging technology in the industry. The R17 Pro further supports near field communications (NFC) wireless payment.

The R17 is equipped with 6 GB DDR4 RAM, with octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 670 mobile platform. Storage of 128 GB is provided.

Good night shooting is the next frontier for the smartphone camera industry. The R17 series upgrades both hardware and software, making the R17 and R17 Pro smartphones specially designed for night shooting. The R17 and R17 Pro feature a software-level AI Ultra-clear Engine that allows users to take high-quality night photos. The AI Ultra-clear Engine uses OPPO's image-enhancing technology to break hardware limitations on producing excellent night shots.

The R17 comes with a 25 MP front camera and a Sony IMX576 sensor with f/2.0 aperture equipped with real-time high dynamic range (HDR) support. The R17 series is able to provide up to 8 million different beautification schemes to intelligently match different users. Additionally, the customised beauty mode can now identify up to four people in the frame and enables users to adjust the facial features and preview the effects in real time. The rear cameras of the R17 series are smart enough to recognise 23 photography modes and as many as 864 scenario combinations.

The OPPO R17 Pro viewed from the right.

The same OPPO R17 Pro viewed from the left.

The R17 Pro is equipped with a variable smart aperture of f1.5/f2.4, which can automatically make images sharper and clearer in both bright and low light situations. The R17 Pro has optical image stabilisation, which can support the longer exposure times to brighten night-time photography, especially with a 7P lens module. 7P lenses have seven manual focus lenses with an integrated autofocus lens mechanism. The combination of these two features further heightens precision in night-time photography.

The variable aperture of f1.5/f2.4
for the OPPO R17 Pro.

The R17 Pro uses a Sony IMX362 as its 12 MP main camera, which has a 1.4-micron pixel size and 1/2.55 sensor size, for brighter night shots and lower noise levels. The R17 Pro also features time of flight (TOF) 3D camera.

In 2017, OPPO was ranked the No. 4 smartphone brand globally, according to IDC. OPPO’s business covers 31 countries and regions.

Details:

The OPPO R17 6GB+128GB will be available in Singapore on 6 October at S$699.

The R17 Pro 8GB+128GB with SuperVOOC is priced at S$999. Preorders begin on 3 November 2018 with availability from 10 November 2018.

Specifications

R17 

Colours: Ambient Blue/Neon Purple (both on the same case)

Qualcomm Snapdragon 670 processor

6GB+128GB memory

Android 8.1 (ColorOS 5.2)

6.4” AMOLED display, Waterdrop screen, FHD+2,340 x 1,080 resolution
Screen ration of 91.5%
Corning Glass 6

Front camera: 25 MP f/2.0
Rear camera: 16 MP f/1.7+5 MP f/2.4

Battery: 3,500 mAh, VOOC Flash Charge, Type C

R17 Pro 

Colours: Radiant Mist/Emerald Green (both on the same case)
Qualcomm Snapdragon 710 processor
8GB+128GB memory
Android 8.1 (ColorOS 5.2)

6.4” AMOLED display, Waterdrop screen, FHD+2,340 x 1,080 resolution
Screen ration of 91.5%
Corning Glass 6

Front camera: 25 MP f/2.0
Rear camera: 12 MP f/1.5-f/2.4)+20 MP (f/2.6) + TOF 3D camera

Supports NFC wireless payment

Battery: 2x1,850 mAh, SuperVOOC Flash Charge, Type C

Explore:

Read the WorkSmart Asia blog post about the global OPPO R17 series launch

View pictures of the OPPO R17 launch in Singapore on Facebook

Hashtags: #OPPOR17, #SeizeTheNight

OPPO introduces the R17 and R17 Pro

Source: OPPO. The OPPO R17 in Ambient Blue (left) and
Neon Purple (right).

OPPO, the global smartphone brand dedicated to providing products infused with art and innovative technology, has released the OPPO R17 and R17 Pro.

The R17 series positions OPPO as a brand offering fashionable design and technology innovation. The OPPO R17 and R17 Pro feature a new "three-colour and bi/quad-direction" gradient design through adding a light-condensing layer. The R17 series also uses Corning Gorilla Glass 6 for the first time, with a 91.5% screen-to-body ratio and a Hidden Fingerprint Unlock feature. 

Brian Shen, Assistant VP, OPPO and Head of Marketing in China, said: “OPPO insists on creating products with ‘beauty’ and aims to create beautiful products from two dimensions; design and technology. Under the guidance of this concept, we have brought two new masterpieces, R17 and R17 Pro, to our users. The R17 series breaks with previous R series' product updates by incorporating new and powerful technological innovations to bring users even more surprises."

The R17 Pro features a smart aperture and a software-based AI Ultra-clear Engine that allows users to take high-quality night photos. The R17 Pro also sports a TOF* 3D camera, supporting 3D photos, somatosensory games, an augmented reality ruler and more. The R17 Pro also has SuperVOOC flash charging technology, which is safe, fast and efficient. 

Details:

The OPPO R17 8GB+128GB will be available in China on August 30 2018 at RMB3,499, while the OPPO R17 6GB+128GB will be available in China from early September at RMB 3,199. 

The R17 Pro 8GB+128GB with SuperVOOC is priced at RMB 4,299, and is expected to go on sale in China market around mid-October.

R17 and R17 Pro availability in Singapore will be announced at a later date.

*Time-of-flight (TOF) technology can capture and display 3D images on the mobile phone. Compared to traditional 3D scanning technologies TOF cameras operate more quickly.

OPPO launches R15 and R15 Pro in Singapore

• OPPO R15 series combines beauty with the latest artificial intelligence (AI) technology

• OPPO R15 and R15 Pro’s new gradient design reflects the company's personality

• With a 6.28" bezel-less screen, the smartphone features a resolution of 2,280 x 1,080 and an aspect ratio of 19:9

OPPO, which is increasingly popular among the younger generation, has brought two new smartphones, OPPO R15 and OPPO R15 Pro to Singapore.

Designed around the concept of tapping into fashion and style, both models provide new gradient designs as well as advancements in camera, display and AI-enhanced features.

“If you are looking for a smartphone that is beautiful, while possessing optimal performance capabilities, the new OPPO R15 and R15 Pro are the smartphones for you. Our smartphones bring together the best of fashion, style and quality and we are thrilled to be bringing this to the Singapore market,” said Jeremy Tan, Product Manager, OPPO Singapore.

Designed in collaboration with industrial designer, Karim Rashid, the OPPO R15 comes in trendy colour gradients: Nebula Purple and Rouge Red for the OPPO R15 and Cosmic Purple and Ruby Red for the OPPO R15 Pro. Built with semi-transparent glass, the phone chassis allow light and shadow to influence the colours in reflection of users' creativity.

With gesture operations and full-screen multitasking, the OPPO R15 series offers an unparallelled screen experience. The vOPPO R15 series boasts a 6.28" bezel-less screen with a resolution of 2,280x1,080 and an aspect ratio of 19:9 - a high screen-to-body ratio. The OPPO Super Full Screen provides customised multitasking functions and deep system optimisations based on its ColorOS 5.0. The narrow left and right frames provide notifications and shortcuts to multiple functions or third-party apps.

The OPPO R15 series is the first to adopt the SONY IMX519 image sensor. In addition to upgraded scene recognition based on AI-enhanced technologies, the dual rear cameras (R15: 16 megapixel + 5 megapixel; R15 Pro: 16 megapixel + 20 megapixel) push the limits of photography. Revamped Sensor-HDR technology dramatically improves backlight selfies and allows users to check high dynamic exposure live effects in real-time.

The OPPO R15 series introduces AI scene recognition. The technology can identify 120 scenes and 16 tags. This makes capturing a subject at its best easier than ever. With the Artistic Portrait Mode, the OPPO R15 and R15 Pro feature a 3D lighting technique for shooting improved artistic portraits.

The OPPO R15 series has focused on increasing memory and storage space with its 128 GB ROM with 6 GB RAM (DDR4) combo across both models – giving it the ability to store 20,000+ standard-size photos. Additionally, the R15 has battery capacity of 3,450 mAh (3,400 mAh for R15 Pro) and supports VOOC Flash Charging technology.

Additional features of the R15 Pro include:

- Near field communications (NFC)

An NFC chip is installed for hassle-free payment. The feature supports Android devices.

- Water resistance

The R15 Pro is water resistant and splash-proof up to the IP67 specification. Calls can even be taken in light rain.

- 3D glass surface

The R15 Pro features a 3D glass surface that replicates the iconic slim metal curve design of the R series in a glass body.  

For the last 10 years, OPPO has been focusing on manufacturing camera phones while innovating on mobile photography. OPPO started the era of selfie beautification and was the first brand to launch smartphones with 5 megapixel and 16 megapixel front cameras.  OPPO was also the first brand to introduce the motorised rotating camera, the Ultra HD feature and the 5x Dual Camera Zoom.

In 2017, OPPO was ranked as the No. 4 smartphone brand globally, according to IDC.

Details:

The OPPO R15 will be available online and in-store from 26 May 2018. Coming to Singapore in Nebula Purple and Rouge Red, the OPPO R15 will be available at a retail price of S$749.

The OPPO R15 Pro will be available online and in-store from 26 May 2018. Retailing in Singapore in Cosmic Purple and Ruby Red, the OPPO R15 Pro will be available at a retail price of S$899.

Read the specifications for OPPO R15 and R15 Pro

OPPO launches OPPO F5 in India

- Artificial intelligence (AI) technology for selfies in India and the first full screen device from OPPO 

- Indian actor and former model Sidharth Malhotra is a new brand ambassador, joining current ambassador and Indian actress Deepika Padukone

- The new brand slogan is The Selfie Expert & Leader 

Source: OPPO. Sidharth Malhotra, OPPO Brand Ambassador (second from left), with Li (second from right) and Will Yang, Brand Director, OPPO India (right). 

OPPO, the selfie expert, has unveiled the OPPO F5, the brand's first FHD+ full screen display model in India. The phone features A.I. Beauty technology, which customises beautification for subjects in a selfie. 

"Our focus has always been on bringing the best photography and selfie experience to the Indian consumers. We have been leading the selfie industry in the Indian market with our Selfie Expert F series for which we have received immense response, especially from the youth. With the launch of F5 that offers the first A.I. Beauty technology in India, we are confident of going further ahead in this journey. Thus, the new brand slogan, The Selfie Expert & Leader, truly represents our ambition to continue being the leaders in the market," said Sky Li, Global VP, OPPO and President of OPPO India.

OPPO also announced a new brand ambassador, youth icon and Bollywood superstar Sidharth Malhotra, who will join Deepika Padukone. Sidharth and Renowned Photographer - Rohan Shrestha shared their own selfie experience with OPPO F5 during the event.

A.I. Beauty technology

OPPO F5 is the first smartphone that brings AI for selfies to India, OPPO said. The F5 can determine skin tones, gender and age from an image. The technology uses more than 200 points on a shape to identify faces. Professional photographers and makeup artists were consulted during the R&D process, enabling their professional skills to be emulated in making selfies look more natural, the company said.

After facial recognition, A.I. Beauty technology will beautify the face based on one's skin, eyes, lips, and face shape. The feature is intelligent and will add feminine enhancements for female subjects but not males. Children and babies do not receive enhancements that make them look like adults, OPPO said.

The OPPO F5 comes installed with a 20MP front camera with a f2.0 aperture and 1/2.8" sensor. Both features allow the camera to gain more information to produce better images with less noise in low-light conditions. The front-camera Portrait mode  applies a bokeh effect to the background, creating better gradation and making the subject the focus of the selfie.

The 16MP rear camera is excellent for day and night shots. The f1.8 aperture performs well for brighter and more precise shots in darker settings. An f1.8 aperture allows more light in than a f2.0 aperture for better photos.

FHD+ full-screen smartphone

The F5 is OPPO's first 6.0" FHD+ full-screen display device and also the first phone equipped with FHD+ full screen display in its price segment, OPPO said. It features a 2,160 x 1,080 pixel screen with an 18:9 aspect ratio. 

Streamlined design

The F5 has a curved unibody that fits well in the palm. A 0.4mm laser strip carved onto the chassis adds a linear finish.

Biometrics

The F5 comes with Facial Unlock, new face recognition technology for unlocking the phone. If the user prefers to use the fingerprint unlock function, the fingerprint reader is now on the back of the phone, enabling a full front screen.

Updated operating system

OPPO's Color OS 3.2, together with 4G RAM + 32GB ROM memory gives the operating system a smoother user experience. A triple slot tray supports two nano SIM cards and one TF (Micro SDHC) card simultaneously. The Octacore CPU processor uses less energy, produces less heat while delivering 40% more performance compared to the previous Color OS versions.

Other highlights include:

- The F5 has a 3,200Ah battery that allows up to 12 hours of continuous use in simulated tests with the help of Continuous Optimizing technology, which manages the apps running on the device. 

- The OPPO F5 has Game Acceleration targeted at gamers. This feature offers a smoother game experience. Apart from optimising the game display configuration to fully utilise hardware resources, incoming calls are shown as a banner so that they do not interrupt one's game.

- The O-share file sharing technology is 100 times faster than Bluetooth - eight to 10 pictures (3MB each) can be transferred between OPPO phones within 1 second. 

- A Split Screen feature is meant for easy multitasking.

In 2016, OPPO was ranked the No. 4 smartphone brand globally, according to IDC. In India, OPPO ranks No. 2 in the offline market by market share as of December 2016 according to GfK. OPPO is the official sponsor of Team India, and the Men's and Women's National Cricket Team in 2017. It is also the official global partner for the International Cricket Council in the mobile category for four years starting 2016. 

Details:

Priced at INR19,990 the F5 (gold and black edition) will go on sale from November 9 and will be available both online and offline. Two other models were also launched at the event, the F5 6GB edition at INR24,990 (red and black edition) and the F5 Youth (black and gold edition). These two variants will be available in December.

OPPO makes OPPO F3 truly selfie-friendly

Source: OPPO. Taking a group selfie.

Instead of relying on a selfie stick or getting someone else to take a picture, OPPO has released the OPPO F3, a smartphone to take away frustrations in capturing group selfies. The company said that group selfies have become the best way to mark an occasion; a Nielsen study done in India has even showed that six out of every 10 pictures taken with a smartphone are selfies.

Two dedicated, front-facing lenses are designed specifically to take selfies. One camera is high-resolution at 16MP for standard selfies whereas the other is a wide-angle camera with a lens that can capture a field-of-view two times larger than the standard selfie camera. A larger frame means more people can get into the picture, and means that more of the background can be captured.

*Online research conducted by Nielsen in Delhi, Chandigarh, Jaipur, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Pune, Bangalore, Chennai, Cochin and Kolkata in February 2017. One thousand and one consumers who purchased a smartphone after 2014 and took selfies at least once a week were surveyed.

Singapore gets OPPO R9s Special Red Edition

- 16 MP front and rear cameras

- Custom 1/2.8" sensor (Sony IMX398)

- Dual PDAF (Phase Detection Autofocus) technology increases area of camera sensor’s pixel array by 100%

Source: OPPO. The OPPO R9s Special Red Edition is now available in Singapore in limited quantities.

OPPO has launched the OPPO R9s Special Red Edition in Singapore, making it the first location outside of mainland China and Taiwan to receive the colour variant. Created to celebrate the lunar new year, the special edition R9s is the first in the R series to be decked in red, and marks the first time that OPPO has launched a red variant in Singapore.

The camera phone retains the technical specifications of its gold and rose gold variants, and sports a Sony IMX398 sensor, the all-new Dual PDAF (phase detection autofocus) technology, and an extra-wide f/1.7 aperture on its rear camera to capture more light.

The R9s introduces a new design feature in the “six-string” antenna lines, which are essentially two sets of three ultra-fine lines that replace the thick white bands that traverse the backs of most phones. The fresh look is paired with stronger performance than ever. The R9s is equipped to operate on six frequency ranges, dynamically choosing the best one for 4G and Wi-Fi signals. With the new design, the R9s’ body is 98.9% metal, with a screen-to-body ratio of 72.9 %. The R9s’ visual impact is subtle, refined and distinguished, with superb signal reception to match.

Other key features include:

- 4GB RAM and 64GB ROM (256GB expandable memory)

- Exceptionally fast (0.2 seconds) and intelligent fingerprint reader that refines performance over time

- 3,010 mAH battery with VOOC Flash Charge technology - a low voltage fast-charging system that does not overtax the phone’s internals with excess heat.

Specifications

Operating System	Color OS v3.0 (based on Android 6.0)
Platform	Qualcomm MSM8953 (Octacore 2.0GHz)
Bands	GSM 850/900/1,800/1,900MHz WCDMA 850/900/1,900/2,100MHz LTE Bands 1/3/5/7/8/20/28/TD-38/39/40/4
Data Connectivity	LTE:       300Mbps/50Mbps HSPA:    42Mbps/5.76Mbps Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi Direct, Wi-Fi Display, DLNA, BT 4.1 LE, VPN, Wi-Fi hotspot
Dimensions	153 x 74.3 x 6.58mm
Weight	147g (with battery)
Colour	Red
Display/touch panel	16 million AMOLED colours, 1,920x1,080, Full HD, 5.5'', 401 pixels per inch
Camera	16 MP Front fixed focus, LED Flash; f/2.0 aperture 16 MP Rear auto focus; f/1.7 aperture, Sony IMX 398
Memory	ROM 64GB + RAM 4GB, external memory up to 256GB
SIM card	Dual SIM – nano (dual standby)
Battery	3,010mAh (typical) 2,910mAh (minimum)
Connectors	Micro-USB, 3.5mm audio jack
Multimedia	Video player/recorder, audio player
Other	GPS, G-Sensor, E-Compass Light & proximity sensor Gyrometer

Interested?

Limited sets of the OPPO R9s Special Red Edition are available for S$679 from OPPO Concept Stores:

• Suntec City Concept Store: Suntec City Mall Tower 3, #01-627 to 630, Temasek Boulevard, Singapore 038983 
• Ang Mo Kio Concept Store: Ang Mo Kio Hub, 53 Ang Mo Kio Ave 3 #B1-10, Singapore 569933 
• Chinatown Concept Store: People's Park Complex, 1 Park Road, #01-22, Singapore 059108
• Causeway Point Concept Store: #03-26A, Woodlands Square, Singapore 738099  
• Compass One Concept Store: #B1-33, 1 Sengkang Square, Singapore 545078 
• Geylang Concept Store: 333 Geylang Road, Singapore 389364 
• Jurong Point Concept Store: 1 Jurong West Central 2 #B1-15, Singapore 648886 
• Tampines Concept Store: 4 Tampines Centre #03-03, Singapore 529510 

The phone can also be purchased online

OPPO launches R7 in UAE together with Etisalat

Source: OPPO website. The R7.

Smartphone brand OPPO has announced a partnership with Etisalat, the UAE's primary telecom provider, in launching its new premium industrial design smartphone OPPO R7 to the country's consumers.

Khaled El Khouly, Chief Marketing Officer, Etisalat said, "The R7 contains a wide set of features which sets itself apart in the UAE market, and OPPO has proven to be dedicated in providing customers with a durable, stylish, and practical smartphone. We look forward to collaborating with OPPO to bring the best to consumers around the UAE."

OPPO R7 features VOOC flash charge, a patented instant charging technology developed by OPPO. VOOC flash charge technology provides users with 4x the charging speed of conventional charges, enough power for two hours of talk after five minutes of charging in practical terms. 

The new OPPO R7 enables users to take professional-looking photos at the touch of a button. The OPPO R7 Dual-drive features the traditional contrast detection focus mechanism as well as a phase-detection auto-focus algorithm to achieve focus times as low as 0.1s. Anti-shake Optimization takes multiple photos in the seconds before and after the user presses the shutter and selects the clearest image.

OPPO's latest smartphone has a magnesium aluminium body and a 5" 1080p Super AMOLED screen. The phone offers 3GB of RAM and 16GB of available memory.

Interested?

The R7 is available in the UAE at a retail price of AED1,599.

OPPO launches the R7 phone

Source: OPPO.

Launching this month, the new OPPO R7 showcases the hallmarks of OPPO construction – beauty, performance, innovation and quality.

The R7, to be followed by the R7 Plus, is an upgrade from the OPPO R5. Said Sean Deng, Managing Director of OPPO Singapore, “The R7 was carefully conceptualised to deliver a smartphone with improved performance and speed. OPPO took customer feedback and user needs into consideration to create an enhanced device that would meet their demands.”

The company has designed a unique ‘violin-arc’ so that the phone sits well in the hand. The R7’s body is crafted from a single piece of aircraft-grade aluminium-magnesium alloy. With a 92.3% metallic ratio, it has significant strength and durability. Each body piece undergoes a 48-step polishing process, resulting in a velvety metallic finish.

The robust frame is matched by the R7’s 5" 1080p Super AMOLED screen, which displays images in high definition detail. Featuring 3GB RAM and an eight-core processor, the R7 is faster than the average phone. The increased performance means a smoother gaming experience and reduced in-game lag. The R7 also comes with 4G dual-SIM slots.

The R7 operates on the latest update of OPPO’s signature ColorOS 2.1, based on Android 4.4. Along with updates to gesture motion and screen-off gestures, ColorOS 2.1 also improves on OPPO smartphone performance speeds and introduces new features. The R7’s boot time is 30% faster than before, with app activation and loading times shortened to just 311 ms, and the OS update provides added energy-saving.

A phase detection autofocus continually adjusts the camera focus, allowing users to take even quicker shots with reduced focus time. The R7 also comes equipped with intelligent anti-shake optimisation.

Launching 18 July, the R7 will be available at the OPPO Concept Store in Suntec City Mall, Tower 3, and retails at S$569. In conjunction with the nation’s Golden Jubilee, the R7 comes in classic silver and celebratory golden. OPPO’s 24-month extended warranty, introduced in June, will apply to all R7 smartphones purchased.

Russel Wong shares tips on phonecam photography at OPPO workshop

Wong demonstrating how the O-Click remote control can be used to take pictures with OPPO N3 even though the phone may be quite far away. The O-Click's range is about 10m.

Celebrity photographer and photographer of celebrities Russel Wong no longer carries a compact camera with him when his phone can do the job. Wong explained that an OPPO N3 can can shoot pictures in the RAW format favoured by professional photographers, and comes with software with outstanding image editing features to boot.

The Expert Mode for the N3 allows camera parameters such as white balance, exposure and ISO mode to be adjusted, Wong explained at the It's Your Turn with Russel Wong! photography workshop for bloggers organised by OPPO in Singapore (It's Your Turn is one of the taglines for the OPPO N3). In fact, Wong said lightening the exposure slightly can make skin look more luminescent, with a little less detailing, which he said the ladies might prefer.

"I know the picture quality is pretty decent if I blow it up to 8x10," he added of the large image files the N3 can produce in Ultra HD mode. "If it is a huge file, you can shrink it. If you shoot on a small file, you will only get pixels (if you expand it)," he said.

The Colorful Night mode, on the other hand, can reduce graininess in night shots, he added. Wong was generous with advice during the workshop, giving tips such as:

Set things up before beginning.
All equipment has to be in place as subjects such as kids (or celebrities) can lose interest quite quickly during the session. "You've got to get it in the first five minutes," Wong said. 

Always do variations. 
Moving the phone to the left or to the right, or half-body versus full-body shots can give a completely different look and feel to the picture. "Shoot everything, then edit," he said.

Ask the subjects to move around.
This is as opposed to shooting where they happen to be, as "nothing is fixed". He also suggested asking subjects to tilt their faces slightly as slight changes in the angle can change the shape of the face significantly.

Only amateurs centre shots. 
"It gives a different feel," Wong said of making subjects slightly off-centre, or even cropping them in half vertically. "Moving the phone slightly can change the shot."

Don't raise the phone too high.
When the camera takes pictures from a high angle, it causes foreshortening, as if the subject has very short legs. Wong says to hold the phone upright, perpendicular to the floor. He noted that as phone camera lenses are typically wider angle than those for cameras, slight tilts can also distort the picture. "Portrait shots should be at eye level," he said. "Zoom in a bit so that the distortion cuts out."

Create an imaginary border around pictures. 
This technique gets around the problem of distortion right at the edge of the image. This problem exists with all camera lenses, Wong said. "You can always crop it," he said.

Try cropping foreheads. 
"You can see more of the eyes. Look at cover shots," Wong said, sharing that he has done the same for his celebrity subjects. Wong's portraits on his website also show how cropping part of the forehead can change the emphasis of a shot.

Keep shooting, even when the subject is not posing. 
Wong spoke of capturing actor Jackie Chan laughing at a joke, a picture which turned out to be one of the best of the session. 

Print pictures in a lossless format like TIFF, not a lossy format like JPEG, so you have more information in the file. 

Wong particularly likes the Bluetooth remote control accessory for the N3, the O-Click, which can remotely control the camera within 10m. He also demonstrated how the N3's camera can take panoramic pictures without moving the phone at all. According to OPPO, the 16 megapixel camera swivels in precise increments of 0.012° in either direction with its precision stepper motor to capture the fine details of the picture within a span of 206° in the 'slow rotating' mode.

The best pictures may however need added lighting. Wong said large light sources impart a soft light to subjects, whereas smaller light sources can be harsher.

Wong will be available at a similar workshop for the public on 6 June in the first of a series of events at the OPPO Concept store in Singapore. It’s your turn with Russel Wong! runs from 5pm to 9pm at the OPPO Concept Store, Suntec City Tower 3, #01-627.

Lucky members of the public at the store might also get a chance to have their portraits taken by Wong himself.

Need background?

Read the WorkSmart Asia blog post about the launch of the OPPO N3
View Wong's portfolio