“AI for everyone”: Oppo’s Peter Dohyung Lee on why India remains at the heart of brand's strategy

India's unique consumer base

India isn’t just another market for Oppo, it’s a core part of their product planning. "We look at Indian users as highly engaged, fast adopters. Many of them now expect flagship-level performance even in the mid-segment," he noted.

Oppo is doubling down on AI, not as a buzzword, but as a user-first philosophy. “We believe in AI for everyone. It should be accessible and usable daily, not just on expensive flagships," Lee said. This means features like AI-based photo and video editing, environmental recognition, and personalised UI experiences are becoming part of even Oppo’s more affordable devices.

"AI is not just in one place; it’s connected to everything," he explains. "Sometimes we add sensors to improve data collection, which then feeds into our AI engine to improve user experience."

He also spoke about Oppo’s AI-powered features being integrated through partnerships with giants like Google. "We use services like Gemini and work closely with Google to design UI that makes it easier to access AI-based features via gestures, like long-press commands."

AI buttons and custom hardware? Maybe not yet

While competitors like OnePlus and Nothing are leaning into dedicated AI hardware like physical AI buttons, Oppo is taking a slightly different route. "We don’t think AI is limited to a button. Instead, we focus on improving the computational engine and feeding it better data," he said. For instance, the colour spectrum sensor is designed to provide rich data to the AI engine to render better photos.

Custom silicon? not now.

With brands like Apple and Google investing in their own chips, is Oppo following suit? "Not at the moment," Lee said. "Right now, we have strong partnerships with Qualcomm and MediaTek. Maybe someday we might look into custom chips, but currently we believe we can deliver the best AI experience through collaborations."

What about foldables?

Despite the growing buzz around foldables, Lee remains cautious. "Foldables have a unique value, especially for users who prefer larger screens. But the Indian market today is still focused on upgrading to powerful flagships. The growth in that segment is massive," he said.

He doesn’t rule out the category but says foldables are still a niche. "We can do foldables. We have the technology. But we’re prioritising bringing flagship-level experiences to a broader audience right now."

Perhaps the most compelling part of the conversation came when Lee shared real-world anecdotes of AI in action. "I met a customer in India, a man in his 50s. He brought in old school photos and used our AI tools to restore and enhance them. He was so happy he shared them with all his friends. That’s what we mean by meaningful AI."

Lee believes that AI adoption is skyrocketing not because it’s pushed, but because users are starting to see its utility. "Two years ago, if you asked 12 people how many used AI on their phones, maybe two would say yes. Now it’s almost everyone. That’s a 400% jump."

As for the future, Lee is clear: AI-first thinking will guide Oppo's roadmap. "We want to bring AI to even our most affordable phones. Yes, there are computational challenges, but processors are evolving and data pipelines are improving. We believe this future is realistic and already happening."