Let’s Talk Convergence

It has been the dream of many a tech savant, entrepreneurial maverick and jetsetting go-getter - the ability to centralize any and all functions, devices and capabilities into a single platform. It’s an ambitious prospect that’s been chased by all and sundry since someone had the bright idea of recording one picture after another really quickly, right up to the moment a camera was married to a phone.

Many in the world of technology have fantasized about having a single device to end them all.  It is a seductive vision, an alluring call for a solution that unifies the human digital experience.

This… is the idea of Convergence - a future where the possibilities are endless, even when the hardware isn’t.

Tech Trends - The Do It All Device

The promised land that is the Do-It-All Device (or DIAD, in short form) is a natural consequence of Convergence. Before we get ahead of ourselves, let’s lay it out clearly - What exactly is a DIAD?

For a start, imagine being in possession of a device that you could carry with you at all times, and fulfills all the needs you would generally experience on a day-to-day basis. Simple enough, right? Doing everything from watching movies to taking photos, while settling your online banking and checking your Twitter feed. Maybe even throw in a gaming session or two, or get some work done via email. Sounds grand, doesn’t it?

Why the All-in-One Concept Is A Good Idea
Cyberpunk 2077 explores this concept quite closely, by positing the human body & brain as such a device provided it has the right enhancements. Imagine experiencing entertainment, productivity, activity tracking  and everything in between - all in a single package that we carry with us everywhere (well, our bodies). That’s it.

Seeing as we aren’t anywhere near this level of technological sophistication just yet, you could argue, quite persuasively, that a DIAD already exists today - the smartphone. The breadth of its capabilities is unparalleled in the history of human technological evolution (at least until we get our own Ripper Docs and can start installing better eye firmware), and it has completely revolutionized the human experience.

But is it actually the DIAD we need?

Counterpoint - Why It Isn’t
The answer is, as you can probably guess from the heading, no.

While the smartphone in today’s current guise (and for the foreseeable future) will always have many feathers in its cap, they can only do so much. Yes, you can watch movies from all over the world, but that screen won’t beat a cinema. You could get work done, but there are many tasks that are much easier to accomplish using a mouse and keyboard. Tracking your workouts is possible, but strapping a phone to your bike or arm is inconvenient (while also risking damage to you and your device).

When piecing this all together, the case for the DIAD in this day and age doesn’t really make sense.

What you need is a device ecosystem, with each device occupying a specific role. This is where OPPO Connect comes in.

Building a Multi-Device Ecosystem

Disclaimer : People might see the word ‘ecosystem’ and start having waking nightmares of 20kg backpacks filled to the brim with every gadget under the sun. Remember those days of lugging around separate items for photos, videos, communications, entertainment and fitness? Don’t worry, that’s not what we’re advocating. No, really, it isn’t!

Start With The Basics

It all starts with your phone, and accepting that it has limitations. The idea here is to create a system where devices complement each other, while also not being too much of a burden for you to carry around when needed. For that to happen, you need to be clear on what your device(s) are supposed to do for you, and what sort of digital lifestyle you intend to lead.

Aiming to be a productivity monster on the go? Looking to maximize those gains while having a good time when you’re mobile? Or are you committed to being a specialist whenever the need arises, using only what you need for the sake of portability?

See? Easy!

PS : It also helps when OPPO has you covered for all the devices you could possibly need.

Productivity
1. Smartphone
2. Laptop

For productivity, it’s a no-brainer to pair your smartphone with your laptop. When WiFi isn’t readily available, tethering your phone as a mobile hotspot for anywhere-data-access is a priceless capability. For those moments when you can’t unfurl your entire setup to get work done, being able to use your phone for on-the-go productivity (provided you use some form of online document syncing, or a platform like OPPO Connect) makes everything accessible.

Entertainment
1. Smartphone
2. Tablet
3. Wireless Earbuds

Short of lugging around an IMAX screen with you, entertainment on-the-go is always going to be a series of compromises. Not all of those compromises need to be bad ones! Using your phone as a data-tethering center (and second screen) means consuming media on your tablet becomes a much more enjoyable mobile experience. Naturally, you’ll need a set of earbuds / earphones so that your fellow commuters don’t spend their journeys hating you.

Fitness
1. Smartphone
2. Fitness Tracker

In this scenario, your phone doesn’t track your workouts, but your watch / fitness tracker does - your phone becomes a data-parsing powerhouse, interpreting all the information that your wrist-based gadget records into useful insight about just how slow your power-walking-after-3-bagels is. 

Introducing OPPO Connect

Now that we’ve laid out three mobile scenarios as part of our effort to build a multi-device ecosystem, let’s talk about OPPO Connect - OPPO’s solution to integrate these devices into a cohesive experience that will make your life easier.

How does it work
OPPO Connect is a software solution that links all of your devices together. Here’s how you can get started.

1. Syncing
No need to mess around with cables or Bluetooth® pairing - just install Connect on your PC / laptop, sync your devices up, and you’re good to go!

For the OPPO Pad and Pad Air, you’ll be able to use Connect to sync with your phone without any additional software - it’s baked into ColorOS.

2. Screencasting / mirroring
Once synced up, your laptop / desktop will have a floating window that mirrors the screen on your phone. This is where you can interact with your phone, either by launching separate windows for a specific app (up to THREE!), or file-sharing. You can also allow clipboard-sharing, meaning that anything you copy on your device can be pasted on the connected device too.

Copying files between devices is a simple matter of dragging and dropping files from your desktop/laptop to your phone.

For your OPPO tablet, Connect works in much the same way, with file dragging and dropping, as well as clipboard sharing for copy-pasting.

3. (Optional) Data tethering
This isn’t strictly speaking a Connect function, but one that can be used to broaden the capabilities of your setup, regardless. How to do it? Turn your phone into a wifi-hotspot and have your other device (laptop or tablet) connect to it for internet connectivity. With unlimited data plans getting cheaper by the day for mobile phones, this is a great way to ensure that you stay connected no matter what.

Why you’d want it
In a word? Convenience.

There’s no need to fiddle around with more cables or dongles.

There’s no need to worry about how your devices can work together.

There’s no need to be concerned about compatibility - so long as you have OPPO devices, Connect will offer you an amazing option for integration and flexibility.