OPPO, MediaTek has allowed ‘Omni’ to take the stage of MWC 2026, as the gateway to AI and the virtual world.
What you need to know
- OPPO was present during MediaTek’s keynote speech “AI for Life” during MWC 2026 where it demonstrated Omni, a feature that allows AI to see the physical world for help.
- The companies have detailed AI Portrait Glow, which helps clean up photos taken in “challenging” lighting conditions.
- MWC 2026 showed how “basic” AI has become in Android, and IDC estimates that more than 37% of phones shipped this year may be powered by Gen AI.
MWC 206 is almost over, but OPPO and MediaTek held their conference just before closing, showing what new AI products are aimed at consumers.
In a press release, the companies shared details about the “AI for life” exhibition held by MediaTek during MWC 2026. AI phones were a big part of this key note. OPPO and MediaTek each seem to agree on their “shared vision” to push those devices forward with new innovations. Another big highlight was Omni, “the first AI model available on a full-mode device designed for multi-species understanding and interaction.”
OPPO explains that the Omni is able to understand live scenes and offer users interactive Q&A sessions on the phone. In addition, this feature will support voice, video, and text input. Of course, with details like this, MediaTek and OPPO see the Omni as a tool to help AI “see” and “interpret” the virtual world.
Android Central Take
I’ve seen similar things said (understanding the virtual world) from other companies, like Honor with its Robot Phone and AI software. It’s an interesting note, especially since AI can continue to help people navigate, perhaps understand foreign language in sign, and so on. Useful, at that.
On the other hand, OPPO said during MediaTek’s talk that it is looking to improve its AI strategy. In the middle is “On the computer on the device.” Jason Liao, president of OPPO Research Institute, said “Compute on the device is the foundation of OPPO’s AI strategy, making AI a meaningful, real-time experience integrated into everyday use.”
The idea is to facilitate privacy-conscious AI with personal information, and boast low latency. OPPO has developed on-device AI Translate and AI Portrait Glow; However, MediaTek says its Dimensity 9500 has helped enable these to continue with performance similar to cloud-based solutions. The two have announced that these features will soon be available in the OPPO Find X9 series. AI Portrait Glow is said to improve photos taken in “challenging” lighting.
After that, OPPO explained that its Find X9 series will soon support Android Quick Share after MediaTek and close cooperation with Google. Users will be able to transfer files between their phone and an OPPO device, alongside an Apple iOS device.
MWC 2026 was fun
As we were preparing for MWC 2026, we expected to see MediaTek. Specifically, we were aware of the company’s plans for its “AI for Life” keynote. The company explained that its keynote will focus on highlighting “how important” it is to the development of on-device AI features with Dimensity chips. Global mobile communications and even automotive solutions were discussed.
Android Central Take
AI has become a really popular feature to include in today’s phones. Either way, there is some sort of AI feature in your device that the OEM or chip maker would like you to use. It has become, as one of my colleagues put it, “basic” on Android. IDC made an interesting estimate, stating that more than 37% of smartphone shipments by 2026 could be Gen AI-enabled devices. And this could grow by 32% per year over the next five years.
MediaTek’s partnership has also been teased, which we have now seen one with OPPO, and what’s to come with the Find X9 series in the upcoming update.
