By Prince Osuagwu

Could you ever imagine that a smartphone can drop 6000 times and still remain intact without scratches and cracks? This is the gospel from leading smart device makers and innovators, OPPO Mobile on their new device, Reno7.

The new device which was unveiled in Nigeria recently is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 5 on the surface and IPX4 water resistant body. In fact, OPPO boasts that with the new device, it is pointless for any user to buy phone cover because Reno7 is protected by birth.

 Another area the phone maker claims superiority is on portrait photography.

Marketing Manager of the company, Jennifer Okorhi said the new device is the first smartphone series to specialize in portrait photography.

She said: “OPPO Reno series has paved the way for a new generation of smart portrait capabilities with its revolutionary portrait technology and chip-level AI algorithms.

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“With Reno7 series, OPPO has taken this portrait-focused experience to the next level thanks to a combination of professional hardware and algorithms that enable users worldwide to create gorgeous portrait images with just the click of a button. It is the first smartphone to embed proprietary algorithms onto sensor hardware.

 “Through extensive research into sensor technology, OPPO has been constantly searching for innovative ways to increase the light sensitivity of the sensor to deliver the highest quality images.

“One such approach is the adoption of an RGBW (red, green, blue, and white) pixel design. In fact, OPPO was already using RGBW sensor designs as far back as 2015 on the OPPO R7 Plus, through which it was able to increase light sensitivity by as much as 32 per cent. “Despite the enhance sensitivity, however, problems including the limited computing power of traditional image sensors and signal crosstalk between pixels meant that images taken using these early RGBW sensors were prone to chromatic aberrations and false colours. In 2019, OPPO’s imaging R&D team was inspired by a paper on a Quadra Binning approach involving adding two white sub-pixels to each red, green, and blue pixel so that each pixel would be capable of detecting both their respective ‘coloured’ signals and the brighter full spectrum of the white signals. In the paper, the research team also applied DTI (Deep Trench Isolation) technology so that each pixel could function independently without influencing its neighbours, she added”.

Following three years spent developing and refining the RGBW technology, and the efforts of over three hundred imaging engineers, OPPO finally achieved the breakthrough it was searching for, acquiring 87 patents in the process.

Okorhi said that in September 2019, OPPO and Sony officially started to work together on the production of the new generation RGBW sensor. Further enhancement and verification of OPPO’s Quadra Binning Algorithm Resistor Transistor Logic (RTL) was completed in April 2020, and four months later, the Quadra Binning Algorithm was successfully integrated into the RGBW sensor to complete what is now known as the IMX709 Ultra-Sensing Sensor which the Reno series ride on.

ps the user to discover the unseen world. At the structural level, OPPO made the decision to install the Microlens module on the back cover of the phone, rather than directly mounting it on the motherboard. As the short focal length of the Microlens requires the phone to be placed very close to the objects being photographed, OPPO also added a new Orbit Light underneath the Microlens to provide additional illumination while the Microlens is enabled.

For professional portrait photography Reno7 also comes equipped with advanced image processing algorithms. Among these are Bokeh Flare Portrait, Selfie HDR and AI Beautification.

Bokeh Flare Portrait

The bokeh flare portrait delivers more professional DSLR-like portraits. The AI algorithms enhance the brightness of the human subject in images while automatically blurring the background and boosting the bokeh light spots.

Selfie HDR

Backlight can be one of the most difficult environments to master when taking photos, but with OPPO Reno7’s Selfie HDR function and the IMX709 sensor, it’s now easier than ever to happily snap sharper, brighter, and more natural-looking selfies in the presence of strong backlight.

AI Beautification

AI Beautification feature recognizes 393 key facial feature points to deliver natural beautification effects for portrait photos and videos on OPPO Reno7’s rear and front cameras. Beautification effects include AI blemish removal and customized retouching for individuals in group photos.

Gorgeous Photos Anytime, Anywhere

Making use of the OPPO Image Clear Engine (ICE) embedded in OPPO Reno7, Flash Snapshot shoots multi-frame bursts of ultra-short exposure photos to capture crystal clear images even when subjects are moving.