Oppo Unveils Its First Internal Image Processor

Chinese smartphone giant, Oppo has unveiled its first internal image processor at the InnoDay event, which is custom-built to upgrade imaging performance on handsets, joining rivals like Huawei Technologies Co and Xiaomi in a chip-design race amid Beijing’s push for self-reliance in semiconductors.

The newly designed chip “MariSilicon X” was designed for faster and better image processing and will be launched with the new Find X series phone in Q1 2022.

MariSilicon X is a neural processing unit (NPU) – designed to implement machine learning algorithms – built using the 6-nanometre node process of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) and it enables faster image and video processing with less battery drain.

Oppo founder and CEO, Chen Mingyong said during the launch event that “MariSilicon X is only a small step for Oppo,” “We won’t stop and we will continue to invest resources into chips, with a team of thousands of people. It will be a long journey, with many challenges ahead, but we will persevere.”

The company also unveiled its new AR eyewear called Air Glass, which it hopes will be the third screen alongside smartphones and smartwatches.