Telecom
OPPO Showcases New Conceptual Design with Nendo, Hosts Retrospective Exhibition at CIIDE
OPPO, a leading smart device company, on Monday showcased multiple new conceptual designs based on its human-centric design philosophy at the 4th China International Industrial Design Expo(CIIDE).
These conceptual designs were created for OPPO by leading Japanese design studio nendo, founded by Oki Sato.
These result from the close collaboration between OPPO and nendo, exploring the possibilities of future design.
During the exhibition, OPPO also exhibited a series of its classic product designs, showcasing its unique insights and exploration into form design, materials and interaction that have occurred since the company’s inception.
The China International Industrial Design Expo is a national-level event focused on industrial design in China. With this year’s theme of “New Designs, New Trends, New Momentum,” OPPO put on a retrospective exposition, showcasing classicindustry-leading product designs from throughout its history.
In 2008, OPPO launched its first smartphone, the “Smiley Face” A103, marking the beginning of its pursuit of the perfect synergy of ultimate aesthetics and innovation.
These innovations have proved numerous over the past 12 years: In 2012, OPPO launched Finder – one of the world’s thinnest phones – designed to be easier and more comfortable for users to hold.
In 2014, it introduced the 2.5D curved design on Find 5, while 2016’s R9 took inspiration from snow-covered mountain ridges to provide a smartphone with improved grip and looks. More recently, OPPO launched Reno3 in 2019 as the world’s thinnest 5G phone at the time.
OPPO’s breakthrough in design also extends to its cutting-edge camera technology. In 2014, OPPO released the world’s first motorized rotating camera smartphone –N3.
In 2018, its full-screen display smartphone, Find X, utilized a pioneering sliding design which enabled the camera to pop out from within the phone when activated.
This innovation integrated 11 components, including front and rear cameras and sensors, and resulted in ascreen-to-body ratio of 93.8%.
In 2019, OPPO broke even more boundaries with the launch of the Reno 10x Zoom and its unique pivot rising structure, which has since inspired new design ideas within the smartphone industry.
In November this year, OPPO once again demonstrated its latest exploration into mobile phone form factors with the OPPO X 2021 rollable conceptual handset at the OPPO INNO DAY 2020 event.
The size of the conceptual device’s rollable display is infinitely adjustable within a specified range, offering a new perspective on the future of devices and how humans might interact with them.
At the China International Industrial Design Expo, OPPO showcased the “slide-phone” and “music-link” conceptual designs that it has been working on together with the leading Japanese industrial designing studio nendo.
The “slide-phone” conceptual design can be folded into different states
The idea for the “slide-phone” originated from OPPO and nendo’s discovery that smartphone users increasingly rely on their smartphones to interact with the world around them.
To support more functionality, smartphone is designed in a constant increasing of size, making it difficult to hold and less convenient.
This trend towards larger phones has become a growing concern for users. Armed with this insight, the “slide-phone” concept is designed with three foldable screens attached by hinges folding over in the same direction.
By providing users with the flexibility to change the form of the phone as needed, users may benefit from the ability to change its size to suit the occasion. Furthermore, a stylus inserted in phone allows users to expand their productivity by using the phone for work or other more complex tasks.
The conceptual design“slide-phone” can be folded into different sizes
The conceptual design“slide-phone” with stylus
OPPO and nendo’sother conceptual design, “music-link”, is a collection of devices centered around a pair of TWS earphones that includes a smartwatch, an AI speaker, a portable charger and a wireless charger.
All devices are designed in a sleek organic form, adopting an affinity design that mirrors the aesthetic values of users today.
When the TWS earphones and portable charging case are placed on the AI speaker, users can enjoy a seamless music experience transitioning from headphones to speaker.
This symbiotic design between devices, and the emphasis on portability and convenience, reflects OPPO’s integration of technology and human-centricity in its design philosophy.
The “music-link” conceptual design
Commenting on the partnership, nendoCEO and chief designer, Oki Sato, said：“I was impressed by OPPO’s philosophy, which goes beyond leveraging the latest technology and pursues a comfortable relationship between people and their products through a human-centric approach to design.
I am looking forward to seeing new concepts from the OPPO team as well as seeing how they manage to further strike a balance between technology and emotional engagement.”
OPPO Industrial Design lead designer Xiao Bo added: “nendo’s design is closely aligned with OPPO’s human-centric philosophy. OPPO aims to bring users adelightful product experience with cutting-edge technology and aesthetic design.
This partnership is built upon a conviction that, to create a groundbreaking tech product with the right level of comfort for users, we must focus on“human.” Moving forward, we will double down on this approach by engineering products with a more seamless, user-friendly experience.”
As an explorer and leader pursuing the perfect synergy of ultimate aesthetics and innovation, OPPO established anindustrial design center at its inception to incubate design and innovation within the industry.
The center was certified by The Fourth selection of National Industrial Design Centers in China on November 22, 2019. OPPO’s cutting-edge product design has also been well-received and recognized by the industry.
This year, OPPO Find X and Reno3 Pro won the 2020 Good Design Awards, while the OPPO Find X2 Pro won the Swan Award in the China Mobile Phone Design Competition.
OPPO will continue to focus on product design, further exploring how technology and aesthetics can be integrated to create closer relationships between people, devices, and the world around them.
Viral rumors about a “Tesla Pi Phone” a new phone, being developed by Elon Musk, CEO and largest shareholder of Tesla and SpaceX, are entirely fake.
AI Generated Tesla Pi Phone and Elon Musk
Instead, the tech giant said on Monday it has filed an application with the US Federal Communications Commission for permission to deploy the constellation by 2028.
It said the system would provide voice, messaging, data and emergency services.
A quick fact-check revealed that Tesla Inc. has never manufactured, developed, or released a smartphone.
Videos and articles claiming a release (often priced between $150 and $800 with solar charging or satellite-only connections) rely on AI-generated concept art and recycled internet hoaxes dating back to 2021.
Musk has only mentioned a phone in hypothetical remarks, stating Tesla would build one only if major app stores completely blocked or censored essential apps like X (formerly Twitter).
On Monday however, his company said that “Amazon looks forward to delivering on the promise of D2D [direct-to-device] connectivity, including to the millions of people living, travelling and working in places beyond the reach of existing networks today,”
The filing is the first step from Amazon into satellite mobile connections, which has until now been dominated by SpaceX’s Starlink service.
Musk’s group has signed partnerships with existing operators such as T-Mobile US and the UK’s Virgin Media O2 to provide phone services for customers where their conventional networks do not reach.
Starlink operates across more than 150 countries, offering high-speed internet connections through its constellation of satellites.
Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) has attributed rising mobile data consumption to increased use of smartphone applications, cloud services and emerging digital technologies.
Mr Gbenga Adebayo, chairman, ALTON
Mr Gbenga Adebayo, chairman, ALTON, disclosed this on Tuesday at the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) conference in Lagos.
Adebayo said smartphones had transformed access to digital services, with many applications consuming data continuously, even when users were not actively browsing the internet.
He explained that automatic software updates, cloud backups, application synchronisation, video streaming, social media autoplay and location services significantly increased data consumption.
According to him, internet usage had changed considerably from a decade ago when consumers mainly relied on direct browsing with fewer digital applications running simultaneously.
He said growing adoption of artificial intelligence, cloud computing and other emerging technologies would further increase demand for reliable connectivity and greater network capacity.
“The evolution of smartphones has fundamentally changed how consumers access digital services, with many applications now consuming data continuously,” Adebayo said.
He stressed that digital literacy had become increasingly important because consumers needed to understand how their devices and applications consumed mobile data.
He advised subscribers to monitor application activity, adjust device settings and use built-in data management tools to better control their data consumption.
Adebayo said greater understanding of digital tools would help dispel misconceptions about data usage and strengthen public confidence in Nigeria’s telecommunications industry.
Responding to allegations that operators deliberately depleted customers’ data, Adebayo dismissed the claims, insisting telecommunications companies had no commercial incentive to engage in such practices.
He said every megabyte consumed on telecom networks was recorded through internationally standardised billing systems supplied by recognised technology vendors and regulated by authorities.
“Such a practice would be unlawful, unethical, commercially self-defeating and subject to stringent regulatory oversight by the Nigerian Communications Commission,” he said.
Adebayo explained that operators’ billing systems were designed to guarantee accuracy, transparency and verification, while genuine consumer complaints were investigated through established protection channels.
He added that the Nigerian Communications Commission’s complaint resolution mechanisms and technical audits provided consumers with credible avenues for seeking redress over billing concerns.
According to him, trust remains essential to expanding Nigeria’s digital economy because telecommunications infrastructure supported banking, healthcare, education, commerce and government services.
He said the telecommunications sector had evolved beyond basic communication services into a critical driver of productivity, investment, innovation and national economic growth.
Adebayo noted that emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, financial technology, smart manufacturing and digital agriculture, depended on resilient telecommunications infrastructure.
He said Nigeria could only maximise these opportunities through sustained collaboration among government, regulators, telecommunications operators and consumers.
Adebayo reaffirmed operators’ commitment to improving customer experience, strengthening network resilience and promoting transparency in telecommunications service delivery.
He urged stakeholders to encourage evidence-based discussions on digital services, stressing that public trust remained indispensable for the sustained growth of Nigeria’s digital economy.
(NAN)
Telecom
Galaxy Backbone Soft Launches Government Service Portal to Simplify Access to Public Services
Galaxy Backbone (GBB), in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation & Digital Economy (FMCIDE) and the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), officially conducted the soft launch of the Government Service Portal (GSP), a groundbreaking digital platform designed to transform how citizens, businesses and government institutions interact.
The event, held at the Galaxy Backbone National Shared Services Centre (NSSC) Headquarters in Abuja, brought together senior government officials, development partners, technology stakeholders and members of the media to unveil services.gov.ng—Nigeria’s new one-stop digital gateway for accessing government services.
The Government Service Portal is designed to provide a single, trusted platform through which Nigerians can easily discover, access and interact with digital services offered by Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs). By consolidating government services into one unified portal, the initiative aims to improve accessibility, enhance service delivery and create a more seamless citizen experience.
Speaking at the event, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Galaxy Backbone. Professor Ibrahim Adeyanju, stated that the launch represents another significant milestone in Nigeria’s digital transformation journey and reflects the Federal Government’s commitment to building a more connected, efficient, transparent and citizen-centred public service.
He emphasized that the Portal is more than a website; it is the foundation of a unified digital gateway that places the needs of citizens and businesses at the centre of government service delivery.
He further noted that while the event marks the beginning of the Portal’s journey, the soft launch provides an opportunity to onboard pioneer MDAs, gather user feedback, strengthen system integrations and continuously improve the platform ahead of a wider national rollout.
Representing key stakeholder institutions at the launch were the Deputy Director of KOICA Nigeria, Mr. Ki Yun Baik; the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation & Digital Economy, represented by Mr. Joseph Bareiye, Director of e-Government; the Permanent Secretary, State House, represented by Mr. Oguntuyi Olusegun, Head of ICT; and the Executive Director, Digital Exploration and Technical Services, Galaxy Backbone, Olumbe Akinkugbe.
The Government Service Portal aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, and supports Nigeria’s broader Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) agenda by creating a citizen-facing gateway that complements existing investments in digital identity, secure infrastructure, cloud services, cybersecurity and digital government platforms. It can be accessed using the link: services.gov.ng . The initiative is expected to strengthen public service delivery, increase transparency, improve operational efficiency and foster greater trust between government and citizens.
Galaxy Backbone reaffirmed its commitment to supporting all Ministries, Departments and Agencies in integrating their digital services into the Portal, noting that collaboration across government will be critical to building an inclusive, interoperable and efficient digital ecosystem that benefits every Nigerian.
The Government Service Portal is expected to evolve into Nigeria’s central digital gateway for public services, making government services simpler, faster and more accessible for citizens and businesses alike.
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