Next Vivo phone might come with a 1/1.7'', 20.2MP sensor and a Nikon SLR chip

In a world where words such as Samsung and Apple have become synonymous for a smartphone, it's a rough life for the many no-name brands that may not be particularly bad or even at all. In a growing number of instances, that seems to have a fair bit to do with the companies' lack of marketing “chops” (= money), when compared to that of the big guys. Especially in the Western hemisphere.This same situation is quite different in the East, however, which, most agree, will stage the next clash for superiority in the industry. Relatively unknown brands such as Oppo, Vivo, Xiaomi, Meizu and others are just getting their names heard, and it will probably be a longer while still, until you start spotting them in the mainstream. At the same time, those very brands are generating waves in their home markets, and are already readying quite a surprise for their behemoth, but laggard rivals.

One such brand is BBK. You've probably never heard of it, though you may have heard of Oppo and, recently, Vivo – currently holding the world's thinnest smartphone title with the X3. Oppo, along with Vivo, are both the brainchildren of BBK. And though it might take a not-too shabby nudge to get most to see quality under a name different than the prior-mentioned giants of technology, phones like the about-to-be-unveiled Oppo N1 have been proving why they deserve attention. Read more...