Oppo's New 'Realme' Online-Only Brand to Launch First Smartphone via Amazon India on May 15

Oppo on Tuesday launched its new 'Made in India' sub-brand for e-commerce, Realme. Alongside, it announced a strategic relationship with Amazon India for the launch of the Realme brand's first product - the Realme 1. Overall, the move looks likely aimed to upset Flipkart and Xiaomi. The Realme 1 will debut exclusively on the Amazon India site on May 15. The brand is meant to cater to "young Indian consumers", and aims to primarily offer options in the range of Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 20,000, with more premium launches planned for the future.

So far, not much has been revealed about the Realme 1. We are shown a 'Black Diamond' back panel sporting triangular-cut patterns, similar to the rear panel of the Oppo A3 that was launched in China last week and the Oppo F7 Diamond Black. Neither Amazon nor Oppo has announced any details about the price and specifications of the upcoming Realme 1. However, it appears that the new smartphone is designed to rival the Xiaomi Redmi 5A that is available in the country with a starting price of Rs. 5,999. The Redmi series handset is notably available for purchase exclusively through Flipkart and Mi.com.

Amazon India has built a microsite for the Realme 1 that reveals some of its key features. The handset seems to feature a metallic frame and a shiny back panel with triangular-cut, diamond patterns. The uniquely designed back panel has been compared with a simple metallic back that seems to be of the Redmi 5A. The Realme 1 also has a rear-facing camera sensor, coupled with an LED flash. The new smartphone will come with an after sales support directly from Oppo that is touted to have over 500 authorised service centres in the country. Moreover, Amazon India and Oppo are set to target the upcoming offering at the Indian youth.

From the back design that has been featured on the microsite, the handset looks similar to the last week launched Oppo A3 that comes with an introductory price of CNY 1,999 (approximately Rs. 21,000). The Oppo A3 also features multiple colour options, including Black, Pink, Red, and Silver. That being said, the hardware of the Oppo A3 is quite superior when comparing with affordable options, including the Redmi 5A. The dual-SIM (Nano) Oppo A3 runs Android 8.1 Oreo-based ColorOS 5.0 and features a 6.2-inch full-HD+ (1080x2280 pixels) LTPS display along with 19:9 aspect ratio. It is powered by an octa-core MediaTek Helio P60 SoC, coupled with 4GB of RAM, and has a 16-megapixel rear camera sensor, 8-megapixel front camera sensor, and 128GB of onboard storage. The handset also packs a 3400mAh battery.

Therefore, the Realme 1 is likely to be a cheaper version of the Oppo A3. It could come with ColorOS 5.0 based on Android 8.1 Oreo but with inferior specifications.

Speaking on the launch of the brand, Madhav Seth, Chief Executive Officer, Realme India, said, "Today, young consumers prefer a better phone design that represents their different but real personalities. They are looking for an affordable price option without compromising on the built-quality and the device performance. On the functional side, their ask is a smarter camera and selfie experience. Realme phones will satisfy the needs of the young and online consumers through its exquisite design, leading specs, cutting edge technology and industry-leading quality. We believe we will be the real disruptor in online smartphone market."

Talking about its partnership with Realme, Noor Patel, Director - Category Management, Amazon India said "Smartphones continue to be one of our largest categories, making us the destination of choice for customers as well as brands. We are excited to partner with Oppo for the launch of their new sub-brand that appeals to savvy, young shoppers. Their new smartphone, the Realme 1, will be available from May 15 exclusively on Amazon.in. With a focus on providing the best selection at the best prices and the convenience of fast & reliable delivery, we have and will continue to work customer backwards."

Is Oppo Realme 1 better than Redmi Note 5 Pro, Zenfone Max Pro M1? We discussed that on Orbital, our weekly technology podcast, which you can subscribe to via Apple Podcasts or RSS, download the episode, or just hit the play button below.