What you need to know
- OPPO was present during MediaTek’s “AI for Life” keynote during MWC 2026 in which it showcased Omni, a feature that lets AI perceive the physical world for assistance.
- The companies detailed AI Portrait Glow, which helps clean up photos that were taken in “challenging” light scenarios.
- MWC 2026 showed just how “foundational” AI has become on Android, and the IDC estimates that over 37% of phones shipped this year may be Gen AI-enabled.
MWC 206 is almost over, but OPPO and MediaTek held their conference just before closing, showcasing what new AI innovations are headed to consumers.
In a press release, the companies shared details about an “AI for life” showcase that MediaTek held during MWC 2026. AI Phones was a big part of this keynote. OPPO and MediaTek each seemed to agree on their “shared vision” for progressing such devices with the newest innovations. One of the major highlights was Omni, “the industry’s first on-device full-modal AI model designed for multi-modal understanding and interaction.”
OPPO explains that Omni is capable of understanding live scenes and providing users with interactive Q&A sessions on a phone. Moreover, this feature will support voice, video, and text inputs. Of course, with details like this, MediaTek and OPPO see Omni as a tool to help AI “perceive” and “interpret” the physical world.
Android Central’s Take
I’ve seen similar things mentioned (understanding the physical world) from other companies, such as Honor with its Robot Phone and AI software. It’s an interesting note, especially as AI can further help people with traveling, perhaps understanding a foreign language on a sign, and more. It’s useful, in that regard.
On the other side, OPPO stated during MediaTek’s keynote that it’s looking to advance its AI strategy. At the center of this is “On-device Compute.” Jason Liao, president of the OPPO Research Institute, said “On-device Compute is a cornerstone of OPPO’s AI strategy, making AI a perceptible, real-time experience integrated into everyday usage.”
The idea is to also facilitate AI that’s privacy-conscious with a personalized experience, as well as boasting low-latency. OPPO’s developed on-device AI Translate and AI Portrait Glow; however, MediaTek states that its Dimensity 9500 helped to empower these further with performance akin to cloud-based solutions. The two announced that these features will be available soon on the OPPO Find X9 series. AI Portrait Glow is said to enhance photos that were taken in “challenging” light.
Then, OPPO explained that its Find X9 series will soon support Android’s Quick Share after MediaTek and Google’s close collaboration. Users will be able to transfer files between their phone and an OPPO device, alongside Apple’s iOS devices.
MWC 2026 has been interesting
As we were getting ready for MWC 2026, we expected to see MediaTek. Specifically, we were privy to the company’s plans for its “AI for Life” keynote. The company explained that its keynote would focus on highlighting how it’s “integral” to advancing on-device AI features through its Dimensity chips. Global mobile connectivity and even automotive solutions were discussed.
Android Central’s Take
AI’s truly become quite a popular feature to include in today’s phones. In all manner of ways, there is some sort of AI feature on your device that the OEM or the chipmaker would love for you to use. It’s become, as one of my colleagues put it, “foundational” on Android. IDC made an interesting estimate, stating that over 37% of phone shipments in 2026 may be Gen AI-enabled devices. And this might grow at 32% per year for the next five years.
MediaTek’s partnerships were also teased, which we’ve now seen one with OPPO, and what’s coming up for the Find X9 series in a future update.
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