Oppo launched the all-new F9 Pro smartphone in India on Tuesday, August 21, bringing a dazzling new device that does more than abide by the company's "selfie expert" tagline. We attended the packed event in Mumbai, where we got our hands on the F9 Pro and also had the chance to interact with two young product managers at Oppo, Rishabh Srivastava and Jithin Abraham, who won much applause during the presentation.
Speaking with Rishabh and Jithin post the event, we were able to uncover some interesting features about why Oppo F9 Pro stands apart from the rest of its lineup. Oppo F9 Pro also marked a change in the way Oppo marketed its F-series phones by flaunting VOOC fast charge technology for the first time instead of relying solely on the selfie factor.
Last we used VOOC was in the Oppo F3 Plus, which was certainly a boon and well ahead of its time. But seeing how OnePlus and other OEMs emphasised the importance of fast charging, it was time Oppo showed off its masterpiece that trumps rivals' offerings.
Make no mistake, Oppo F9 Pro's VOOC fast charging is not only incredibly fast, it is just as safe – something Oppo proudly claims precedence over. But it certainly took a while for Oppo to finally start offering VOOC flash charge in its F-series phones once again.
To that, Jithin said, "VOOC itself is a very big technology. To be honest, the quality is so high it is a little costly. If we start applying VOOC for all our products, the cost is going to go high. But we want the customers to have this technology so we waited so much."
Adding to that, Rishabh highlighted the 5 layers of protection that make Oppo F9 Pro the safest smartphones to use, especially while charging. This is an assurance to consumers who fear using smartphones while charging can lead to an explosion, and worse even result in life-threatening injuries.
There have been several incidents where smartphone users have lost their lives or sustained serious injuries while talking on the phone or playing games while it is being charged. Oppo's 5-layer protection ensures users are not a victim of such incidents.
"We take these kinds of things seriously," Jithin said.
Additionally, VOOC flash charge has been rigorously tested before handing it down to the users. "Protecting our consumers is a very important thing. There have been many tests for every aspect and the phone and VOOC flash charge has undergone several tests," Rishabh noted.
Oppo is so confident with its VOOC flash charge technology's safety standards that even playing games while charging the phone ensures the safety of the user. Another interesting fact is that using the phone for gaming while charging also doesn't hamper the fast charging speeds, which essentially means the phone can charge almost 60 percent in just 30 minutes.
For Oppo, selfies were the key marketing driver for a long time, and it is refreshing to see the company highlight other great technologies that are within its grasp. And yes, we had asked about SuperVOOC in more phones in the future, to which the response was "probably next flagship." So, there are plans for launching R17 Pro in India sooner than later. We cannot wait.
In the meantime, stay tuned for our full review of Oppo F9 Pro.
