Oppo at the Mobile World Congress Shanghai (MWCS) on Tuesday announced a programme called The Flash Initiative that aims to expand its proprietary VOOC flash charging technology to automobiles, public spaces, and charging accessories. The Chinese company partnered with Anker, FAW-Volkswagen, and NXP Semiconductors on the new move. Launched back in 2014, the VOOC charging technology has so far been featured on over 30 smartphone models and is claimed by the company to be used by over 175 million users around the globe. It is touted to offer a faster charging experience by using a specific charging adapter.

Each partner manufacturer under the new initiative will work with proprietary technical designs developed by Oppo. Certification lab China Telecommunication Technology Laboratory (CTTL) will test and certify partners for the programme, the company said in a statement.

As a result of the initial partnership, Anker will bring new charging accessories supporting Oppo's VOOC flash charging to its customers, while FAW-Volkswagen will incorporate rapid charging into Volkswagen cars made in China. NXP Semiconductors, on the other hand, will bring VOOC flash charging to smart and connected solutions designed for sectors including smart cities and industrial, automotive, mobile, and smart homes.

Oppo is claimed to have more than 2,950 flash charging patents worldwide, with over 1,400 already granted. The company competes against Qualcomm that offers its Quick Charge fast charging technologies to various smartphone manufacturers using Snapdragon SoCs globally.

Similar to Oppo, its siblings including OnePlus and Realme also have their own proprietary technologies to provide faster charging experiences to their customers.

Adler Feng, Senior Director of Intellectual Property at Oppo, said that with new partners on board, the company's proprietary technologies could reach more people. However, there is no timeline on when the new products by the partners will hit the market. It is also likely that the products could initially be limited to China.

In July last year, Oppo launched its 125W Flash Charge technology that was claimed to charge a 4,000mAh battery up to 41 percent in just five minutes and fully charge it in 20 minutes. That technology is compatible with the company's existing SuperVOOC and VOOC fast charging protocols. Oppo also launched its 65W AirVOOC fast wireless charging technology and a 50W mini SuperVOOC flash charger that it is showcasing at the MWCS this week.

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