Can OPPO’s Find X set the trend for smartphone design going forward?

“OPPO’s new phone showcases an innovative design that could set the benchmark for others”

One of the biggest disappointments of the tech industry has to be that phones used to look much more interesting a decade back than they do right now. Before every handset maker started running after the tried-and-tested utilitarian design, big players like Nokia were making bold choices with every new phone and it was an exciting time to be alive. It seems like we are again at a point where the industry desperately needs innovation and new phones like OPPO Find X and Vivo NEX might be the first of many that are trying untested waters.

When Steve Jobs introduced the world to the first generation iPhone, little did we know that other handset makers will try to imitate the design to a point where legal battles would be fought around the globe over the issue.

As the display sizes got bigger over the years on Android phones and Apple remained rather stubborn about the screen sizes on its iPhones, designs parted ways… but not to a point where we could get extremely excited about the difference. Jump to 2018, Samsung has mastered the dual-curved display design and reduced the top and bottom bezels to a point where the company can be proud of the aesthetics offered by its flagship phones. On the other side, Apple’s iPhone X also tries to offer an only-screen experience but takes a different approach. The iPhone X comes with a notch design, where the cut-out at front features an array of sensors that enable facial recognition for secure and fast unlock. Both these approaches, despite being impressive in their own right, took really long to come around and still feel unfinished. Worth mentioning that the display notch is now a growing trend, increasingly being adopted by Android phone manufacturers as well.

Now that we have discussed the two defining design offerings of modern times… in comes OPPO Find X. The OPPO Find X is definitely not the most revolutionary phone in the market but it is certainly the bravest device to have come out in a very long time. If you have not heard about the Find X, the new phone from OPPO comes with a retractable top that holds both front and rear camera modules. These cameras show up only when the user needs the optic sensors, for face unlock authentication or clicking pictures, and then go back into the body to provide a clean design with no notches or bezels up front.

Due to the use of motorised components, the OPPO Find X might present some issues that would have otherwise been concealed at first glance, thanks to spectacular aesthetics and smooth transition. First and foremost, the design ensures that the Find X would likely prove to be fragile in case of occasional drops. Any issues with the retractable components would mean that the handset’s cameras cannot be used. In real life usage, you might have to wait a bit for the cameras to pop out before clicking pictures, which means you can miss out on crucial moments at times. There would be little resistance against dust and water, making things worse. Finally, finding and manufacturing protective cases for such a design would be a huge challenge in itself.

If we keep aside these bits, another challenge for the company would be sales numbers. This is the reason why I termed the handset as one of the “bravest” phones to have come out in recent times. Positive sales figures for the handset would necessarily be required to offset some of the research and development costs to the company. The cost of development is one of the key reasons that has prevented handset makers from trying out new designs on their offerings and if a company is taking the path less trodden, the move has to be described as a potential risk.

Further, if we take other phones with unique designs into consideration, it becomes clearer why the companies are afraid to try out different designs on their phones of late. Be it modular design on the LG G5 (review) or the slider keypad design on the BlackBerry Priv, the unique implementations managed to grab headlines but never managed to deliver well in terms of sales.

However, it is important to point out that Samsung’s curved display design was initially implemented on a special edition variant and soon made its way to the regular variant of the company’s flagship. In fact, the company eventually did away with the flat screen option on its flagships with the launch of Galaxy S8 models.

So is there hope for unique designs like the one on OPPO Find X, and more importantly, what lies in the future? We have been hearing about smartphones with foldable screens for a long time now, but the commercial devices are taking ages to show up. Both Samsung and HTC are expected to be at the forefront for this design revolution and even though the first handsets might be priced well above $1,000, eventually we might see these offerings in the $700-$800 range not so long afterward. The only foldable smartphone, with two screens, which is available currently is ZTE’s Axon M (first impressions). Unfortunately, the ZTE offering is one of the less inspirational foldable designs as well. However, the company should be given due credit for trying a new mechanism for a foldable design, something that cannot be said for most other phone makers.

It is interesting to see that we are at that point again in tech cycle where we will see new phones with interesting designs more frequently, instead of just the same design over and over again. Hopefully, this excitement will continue with future releases instead of dying out soon. Needless to say, the success or failure of OPPO’s new phone might just play a crucial role in other handset makers’ approach towards design innovation going ahead.

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