Powering Tomorrow
Lay Ren on OPPO's AI-Driven Future in the Middle East
By Jane Stevens
Magnav sits down with Lay Ren, President of OPPO Middle East & Africa (MEA), to discuss how the global technology leader is not just responding to but actively shaping the digital transformation across the region. From creating a new era of effortless communication to pioneering ethical AI, Ren details OPPO’s vision of “Technology for Mankind, Kindness for the World” and its commitment to making advanced technology a universal and deeply personal part of everyday life.
The Engine of Digital Transformation
For OPPO, contributing to the UAE’s role as a global hub of digital innovation is central to their mission. Ren outlines a three-pronged strategy: deeply understanding local user scenarios, leveraging advanced system-level AI, and ensuring robust hardware protection.
“Smartphones are not just vehicles for AI, but the very engines that drive it,” Ren explains. This vision recently materialized with the launch of the Reno14 Series in the UAE, an AI phone specifically addressing social and imaging challenges in the low-light conditions prevalent in the region’s active nightlife. Beyond personal use, OPPO is utilizing its proprietary ColorOS user interface to support the diverse professional landscape.
“We are utilizing AI to translate, summarise and transcribe calls in over 20 languages across various communication platforms,” he notes, a crucial tool in a dynamic, multicultural country like the UAE. This commitment is bold: OPPO plans to bring generative AI to 100 million users in 2025, ensuring it is both sustainable and deeply relevant to Middle East customers.
From Tools to Personal AI Agents
Looking ahead, Ren envisions a fundamental redefinition of the human-technology relationship. The shift will move from passive-operation to active-intent collaboration, where devices evolve into personal AI agents that proactively understand user intent. “Users are not just waiting for the next big thing, they are expecting it,” Ren states. “The future of AI is about providing experiences that are truly intuitive, deeply personalized, and always up to date.”
This seamless evolution is realized through ColorOS, which acts as the intelligence layer, unifying all of a user’s devices, watches, earbuds, and tablets for an invisible and continuous experience. This focus on “seamless living” is interpreted at OPPO as an effortless experience across the entire product ecosystem. Key to this is OPPO Connect, a feature enabling robust cross-device collaboration and furthering the concept of Convergence: a future where the possibilities are endless, even when the hardware isn’t.
Tailoring Innovation for the Middle East
OPPO is deeply committed to tailoring its innovations to the unique demands of Middle East markets. This includes focusing on specific lifestyle and environmental factors. “For the region’s active nightlife and vibrant urban landscapes, our AI Flash Imaging is specifically optimized for low-light and portrait zoom,” Ren details.
Furthermore, recognizing the popularity of beaches and pools, the Reno14 Series offers Underwater 4K Videography, combined with robust IP66/68/69 protection to address common use cases involving water and dust. Beyond product features, OPPO engages in specific market actions like offering pre-order bundles and trade-in programs with trusted local retailers such as Sharaf DG, Emax, and Jumbo, all supported by content captured in real local environments.
The New Era of Smart Living
Ren further elaborates on how OPPO is shaping the future of everyday life, especially with the rise of smart cities and digital-first lifestyles. OPPO envisions its devices as personal-intelligence gateways and scenario connectors. Centered on a personal AI agent, the goal is to offload complexity to AI. This involves a continuous, evolving service, driven by the powerful AndesGPT engine and anchored by the privacy of the Private Computing Cloud (PCC).
“ColorOS will serve as the intelligence layer, seamlessly linking watches, earbuds, tablets, and other devices for an invisible and continuous experience,” Ren explains. This goes hand-in-hand with OPPO’s long-term investment in foundational capabilities, such as communications standards and fast-charging IP.
By collaborating closely with operators and ecosystem partners, OPPO is focused on bringing efficient and secure experiences into urban life across the region, making technology an always-on, enhancing presence rather than a source of friction.
Bridging Divides and Upholding Ethics
In a globalized society, technology has a vital role in bridging cultural and linguistic divides. OPPO has developed a comprehensive suite of AI tools specifically for this purpose. AI Translate and AI Call Assistant facilitate smoother communication in calls, meetings, and international collaborations, which is particularly important in a cultural melting pot like the Middle East. AI VoiceScribe supports over 20 languages, making foreign-language content easier to comprehend. The company also actively promotes inclusive technology and cultural exchange through initiatives, such as a collaboration with UNESCO. “Technology for Mankind, Kindness for the World will continue to harness technology to contribute towards positive impact on society, aiming for it to serve as a bridge rather than a barrier,” Ren affirms.
Finally, on the critical topic of ethical AI and user privacy, Ren underscores OPPO’s significant responsibility. “Our approach is fundamentally grounded in being lawful, compliant, and minimal in data collection,” he asserts. OPPO does not proactively collect personal data from end-users and strictly adheres to local laws. This commitment is backed by systematic security certifications like ISO/IEC and a Private Computing Cloud (PCC), which carefully balances efficiency with security and consistently prioritizes user privacy in all AI developments.
A Headline for the Future
When asked to summarize OPPO’s long-term vision in one headline about “tech progress,” Ren offers the company’s guiding principle: “Technology for Mankind, Kindness for the World.“
This vision is realized through several core principles: human-centered innovation solving real user needs; a deep commitment to an AI-driven future living with monthly AI iterations and a plan to bring generative AI to 100 million users in 2025; global reach with local relevance, evidenced by Middle East-relevant features like night-scene AI imaging and multilingual AI; and a foundational commitment to sustainability and responsibility, aiming for carbon neutrality by 2050.
Through these principles, OPPO is not just selling smart devices; it is actively shaping a future where technology is an intuitive, secure, and compassionate force in the lives of people across the globe.