Oppo Explains What Goes Behind Making Industry-First Fiberglass Leather Design Of F21 Pro Ahead Of Launch | Exclusive

Oppo has told ABP Live that its teams have spent almost two years refining the design for the new F21 Pro Sunset Orange model that features the industry’s first Fiberglass Leather design.

New Delhi: Smartphone makers, across all segments, are making innovations to make users' lives easier and value adds by either offering a seamless experience or a unique proposition that stands out among rivals. Oppo is one such smartphone OEM that has earned a reputation of bringing stylish smartphones that do not burn a hole in your pocket. Now, the handset maker has told ABP Live what goes behind the making of the Oppo F21 Pro's industry-first Fiberglass Leather design ahead of its launch.

Talking about Fiberglass Leather, it is a sustainable design and according to the company, the Sunset Orange variant of Oppo F21 Pro also doubles as a "frameless" battery cover. The company said that it took around two years to fine-tune the design of the Oppo F21 Pro Sunset Orange variant. “Oppo invests heavily in R&D to bring premium devices to its users. For instance, our teams have spent almost two years refining the design for the new F21 Pro Sunset Orange model that features the industry’s first Fiberglass Leather design that withstands high temperatures while being water-resistant," Tasleem Arif, Vice President, India R&D Head, Oppo India, told ABP Live.

"Similarly, the Cosmic Black variant of the F21 Pro features our proprietary 'glow' technology that makes it look glossy while rendering a matte-in-hand feel. It is also fingerprint and stain-resistant," Arif noted.

How is Oppo F21 Pro's Fiberglass Leather different from other imitation leather finishes?

Using faux leather isn't new and Samsung had used it in the Galaxy Note 3 way back in 2013 and making use of faux leather has its cons too. However, Oppo is trying to differentiate the Oppo F21 Pro's leather back from the imitation leather finishes by making the final processed Fiberglass Leather much thinner than other faux leather designs. "To ensure the quality of the finished Fiberglass Leather, we put it through the ultimate durability test. It has been subjected to various simulated friction tests designed to mimic the wear and tear of day-to-day use. These tests include 5,000 alcohol rubbing tests, 200,000 denim rubbing tests, and 10,000 rubber eraser tests, to ensure colour fidelity and durability," the company explained.

It should be noted that the upcoming Oppo F21 Pro has taken a cue from the leather-and-metal designs of classic film cameras and has done away with the plastic mid-frame support. The smartphone will 7.54-mm in thickness in the Sunset Orange variant while it will be 7.49-mm in the Auroral Blue model and the Cosmic Black model featuring a 2.5D front will 175 grams.

"Fiberglass Leather is the amalgamation of Lychee-grain leather and Fibreglass and both the materials are bonded by tweaking their respective properties to ensure that the final product can withstand high temperatures and pressure, making the phone highly durable," Oppo revealed.

The Oppo F21 Pro 8GB/128GB storage model is expected to be priced around Rs 21,990 for the 4G variant and Rs 25,990 for the 5G variant. The Oppo F21 Pro lineup is likely to launch in India on April 12.