What’s new: Chinese smartphone-maker Oppo has signed a deal to sell its products to Europe’s Vodafone Group, one of the world’s leading wireless operators.
Under the tie-up, Oppo’s full line of phones will become available to Vodafone customers from this month, the pair announced on Monday.
Oppo’s phones will initially be available to Vodafone customers in Germany, Britain, Spain, Portugal, Romania, Turkey and the Netherlands in the partnership’s first stage.
Why does it matter: The deal marks a major advance in Oppo’s drive to become a major global player as it expands beyond its home China market.
As one of the world’s top operators, Vodafone had about 115 million mobile subscribers in Europe and another 168 million in Africa as of the end of March.
Oppo was the world’s sixth largest smartphone brand in this year’s first quarter, selling 22.8 million units during the three-month period, according to data tracking firm IDC.
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Contact reporter Yang Ge (geyang@caixin.com)
