Chinese smartphone manufacturer Oppo may still be an unfamiliar name for most European, but that could be set to change soon.

The Oppo company launched two new premium handsets, including the world's slimmest smartphone, the R5, hoping to undercut Apple and Samsung. Oppo is the leading 4G smartphone manufacturer in China, with a market share of 15.2 per cent, although overall it trails other brands such as Chinese competitors Xiaomi and Lenovo, and South Korean manufacturer Samsung. Automatic camera rotation via either screen swipe, a touch panel at the rear or via the "o-click", a remote control included with the device, can capture panoramas horizontally or vertically.

Oppo's Finder, released in 2012, was also the world's thinnest high quality chinese phone at the time.

Both the N3 and R5 run on Oppo's Android-based operating system, Color OS, featuring a music player that looks like a vinyl turntable, and a "global gestures" drawing function, which instantly launches apps when an assigned shape is drawn on the screen.

Both handsets also include Oppo's Pure Image 2.0 technology - which can track moving targets, focus a photograph after it has been taken, and more - and can charge from zero battery power to 75 per cent in half an hour using Oppo's VOOC rapid charger.

Oppo international product director Joey Gan said the company was able to undercut competitors' costs by designing, developing and manufacturing the vast majority of its product components in-house.

It was also discussing the prospect of opening its own branded stores in Australia, as it has done in other countries including India and Indonesia. However Mr Tran confirmed Oppo was setting up an Australian services centre and looking to expand the team. Oppo Australia employs 16 people currently and supports global operations.

The Oppo brand first launched internationally in 2010 when it expanded into Thailand. It has continued to expand throughout south-east Asia, the Americas and the Middle East, and is now available in 17 markets.

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