The Chinese smartphone maker Oppo is shutting down its chip design unit. The company cited uncertainty in the global economy and smartphone industry as the reason. News Reuters.
Smartphone shipments fell 14 percent last year and total unit shipments dipped below 300 million for the first time in a decade. Research firm Canalys said last month that total smartphone shipments fell 11 percent to 67.2 million units in the first quarter, the lowest since 2013.
“The reality of the global economy and the uncertainty of the smartphone industry requires us to make tough compromises with our long-term growth goals,” an Oppo representative said.
Oppo is one of the best-selling Chinese smartphone brands. The company has announced the closure of the Jeku unit established in 2019. The product list here includes the MariSilicon X chip. Its Neural Processing Unit (NPU) enhances the quality of videos and photos captured on the smartphone.