Oppo's ambitious plans for the Find X10 Pro and its future high-end phones are America's loss but Europe's gain.

If the only two names that pop into your head when you think about the best phones on the market are Apple and Samsung, frankly, you’re thinking too small.

Chinese phone-makers aren’t just making phones that rival those from Apple and Samsung; in some respects, they’re surpassing the iPhones and Galaxys — in batteries and fast charging, and especially when it comes to cameras.

On Wednesday, Oppo launched its latest photography-focused high-end phones, the Find X10 and Find X10 Pro, on the sun-bleached Spanish island of Mallorca. A finca covered in bougainvillea and surrounded by gnarled olive groves and roving wild goats might at first glance seem like an offbeat choice for a Chinese tech giant to stage a global launch event, but the decision is far from random. Spain is Oppo’s biggest European market, and it’s only getting bigger.

It’s a story we’re seeing repeat itself around the world. According to researchers Counterpoint and Omdia, Oppo was the fourth-largest phone-maker globally by shipments in the first half of this year. Already well established in China, the company is now seeing growth across the globe, and in Europe in particular.

It’s an impressive feat given that growing a smartphone business is harder than it’s ever been. It’s no secret that RAMageddon, the ongoing memory shortage, is pushing up phone prices and causing a massive drop in shipments.

Phone-makers might be putting on a brave face as they release new devices to the world, but behind the scenes they’re scrambling to draw up new strategies that will hopefully see them through in both the short and long term.

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