If you are looking for an adjective that has nothing to do with mobile phones, then “durable” is definitely one of them.
Fragile screens and glass back covers, rapidly depleting batteries, and the transition from feature phones to smartphones are the process by which mobile phones themselves become fragile.If you want a mobile phone that is strong enough, you may only be able to achieve it with a “silly, big, black and thick” rugged mobile phone.
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But for ordinary users, the protective effect of three-proof mobile phones seems to be a bit overflowing. In comparison, the weight of ordinary mobile phones is twice that of ordinary mobile phones, the feel has nothing to do with thinness and lightness, and the high price of four to five thousand. It makes the investment seem less worthwhile.
In such a general environment, OPPO wants to break through the barriers of traditional market segments. For the two products A3 Pro and K12 released in April, OPPO has made durability a major selling point. In its promotion, it even included washing machines, cracking walnuts, resisting electric drills and other “traditional arts” in the era of functional machines. All used. What is the reason for such “unconventional” product design?
How to equip your teeth with durability from a small smartphone
Friends who are familiar with the current mobile phone market should know that when a new phone is released, the manufacturer’s main selling point is often the combination of imaging, performance, and appearance. However, the OPPO A3 Pro and OPPO K12 mentioned at the beginning focus on durability even though they are not bad in these aspects, which seems out of place.
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Moreover, these two products basically cover all the durability issues encountered by users. In a simple summary, they are waterproof, anti-fall and battery life.
When it comes to waterproofing, OPPO A3 Pro is undoubtedly the industry leader. It has three waterproof standard certifications: IP69, IP68, and IP66.
This means that OPPO A3 Pro can survive strong water sprays, long-term immersion, or high-pressure hot water, almost meeting the standards of three-proof mobile phones. The OPPO Supreme Warranty given during its first sale also provides a one-year warranty against water damage, which is enough to show OPPO's confidence in its waterproof performance.
In addition to water intrusion, accidents such as slippery hands are inevitable in life. If the screen or back cover is broken, the cost of using the phone will undoubtedly increase significantly.
Both OPPO A3 Pro and OPPO K12 use OPPO's self-developed diamond architecture. By reinforcing the four corners of the phone and adding airbags at key weak points, the phone's anti-fall ability is greatly improved.
Both mobile phones have also passed SGS's Gold Label five-star complete machine drop and fall resistance certification, and have been recognized by authoritative organizations.
In addition to accidental injuries, OPPO has also considered battery loss during daily use.Both phones are equipped with OPPO's longevity version of flash charging technology, which is based on OPPO's self-developed bionic repair electrolyte technology to continuously repair the solid electrolyte interface film.Protecting the positive and negative poles of the battery from damage can ensure that the battery still maintains 80% capacity after 4 years of use.
OPPO K12 is equipped with a combination of 5500mAh large battery and 100W super flash charging, taking into account long battery life and fast charging.
Such publicity of All in durability is indeed a breath of fresh air in the current mobile phone industry, but it also brings to mind a question, why has no manufacturer done this before?
Why are smartphones not durable? Is it because users don’t like them?
How did mobile phones change from the “walnut-cracking artifact” in the feature phone era to the “weak and vulnerable” today? The answer is actually very simple, the market has changed.
In the era of feature phones, Nokia has been able to lead the mobile phone market for more than ten years by relying on its durability to smash walnuts and stop bullets. This essentially reflects the unsaturation of the mobile phone market.
When the number of new users exceeds the existing users, manufacturers do not need to expect old users to shorten the replacement cycle. Instead, they are more willing to have a good reputation for durability, so that new users will naturally be attracted to more durable products.
However, the golden rule that made mobile phone brands successful in the past may become a fatal factor restricting their development in today's market.
When smartphones become the standard equipment of modern people, they increasingly reveal their nature as consumer electronics: they are not durable goods, but consumables. Only when users repurchase can manufacturers increase profits.
As a result, this kind of thing began to become the norm: SoC takes one generation every half a year and gets a major upgrade every year; every time the system is upgraded, the phone seems to be more stuck; “small but beautiful” Apps fill up the phone's storage, and 128G has just been eliminated. 256G is also in danger. Although the battery is larger, more consumption also shortens its lifespan; the metal middle frame and glass back cover are even more fragile than the last.
Even if the legendary “planned obsolescence” does not exist, new phones that will be replaced in a few months are constantly reminding you, “Do you want to keep yourself from falling behind? Buy a new mobile phone.”
All this cycle is perfect, except for the one who ultimately pays the bill – the consumer. According to IDC's data report, global smartphone shipments in 2023 will decrease by 3.2% year-on-year to 1.17 billion units, which is the lowest full-year shipments in ten years.
This is a record achieved even when major manufacturers are making every effort to update their products, optimize market segments, and focus on sinking high-end markets.
Obviously, the golden age when smartphone sales were constantly rising and new phones were always eye-catching has passed. Now let us turn around and see why OPPO chose to make a durable mobile phone. It may not be so difficult to understand.
500 million mass users need more durable smartphones
According to data from market research firm TechInsights, the global smartphone replacement cycle will continue to lengthen to 51 months, the longest in history, in 2023. Chinese consumers replace their phones more frequently, but it will still exceed 40 months.
This means that most consumers often need to use it for 4 years or more before changing their mobile phones.
The reason for this is that in addition to the too frequent replacement of mobile phone manufacturers that makes consumers numb, another major reason may be the cliché of excess performance. Numiao CEO Li Nan once wrote that the 51-month replacement cycle is the best proof of the excessive performance of flagship chips.
If the performance is enough for most users, then instead of asking users to switch phones early through small and fast performance upgrades, it is better to make the phone more durable and allow users to stay in their own ecosystem.
In such an environment, OPPO, which is good at understanding user needs, has undoubtedly become the first to realize this in the industry.
OPPO China President Liu Bo also wrote in a promotional letter for OPPO A3 Pro, “As consumers become more pragmatic in their purchasing choices, we have noticed that mass users have a growing demand for a longer-lasting and more reliable mobile phone experience. ”
As OPPO raises the banner of durability in the entry-level market, I believe that more and more manufacturers will come out of the cycle of rapid upgrades and provide mass users with durable products that can last longer.
write at the end
At the end of the article, I want to jump out of the macro perspective of industry observation and talk about the small things I observed around me. My parents are using flagship phones from a few years ago. The ravages of time have left deep or shallow scars on their phones.
But when I replaced them with new mobile phones, they still couldn't help but complain that the new phone's settings were too inconvenient and they were still not used to it. They even asked me to help them replace their old phones.
Coincidentally, when I was searching for information for this article, I also saw such a Weibo post by Liu Bo, President of OPPO China. Several Meituan knights “organized a group” to go to the store to experience OPPO A3 Pro, because waterproofing, drop resistance, and long battery life are exactly what they need most when they work on their mobile phones every day.
For these users who don’t need to replace their phones every year, we want to make a good mobile phone that can last longer. This may be the best explanation for OPPO’s brand mission of “technology for people, good for the world”.