Oppo and VW team up for connected vehicles

Damien O’Carroll

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  • Volkswagen has lagged behind the competition in terms of in-car connectivity.
  • The new deal gives VW access to Oppo's 5G connectivity technology globally.
  • Oppo says the agreement covers the Volkswagen Group’s global product portfolio.

Volkswagen and leading smart device manufacturer Oppo have signed a global patent licensing agreement that gives VW access to Oppo's cellular standard-essential patents (SEP) portfolio, which includes the Chinese tech company's 5G connectivity technology.

While the company has a deal with MG to develop in-car connectivity, this deal represents Oppo's first ever bilateral patent licensing agreement with a car company, which the company says "reflects the broader adoption of Oppo's cellular standard-essential technologies beyond smartphones, especially in the automotive sector."

Oppo doesn't just make handsome phones with awesome cameras, the company holds a huge number of patents globally.

The deal looks set to open up VW's long-term strategy to elevate the software experience in connected cars, something the global car giant seems to have struggled with outside of Europe, lagging, as it does, far behind not just the Chinese competitors, but even other German brands like BMW and Mercedes-Benz.

The Oppo deal will provide the German carmaker with a stable global base for mobile connectivity, with Oppo saying its 5G SEPs are currently distributed in more than 40 countries and regions globally, and according to LexisNexis IPlytics - a leading patent analytics platform - Oppo ranks eighth globally in overall 5G patent strength as of the start of 2025.

Volkswagen has lagged badly behind the competition when it comes to connectivity in its cars.

As to what it means in this part of the world, Oppo says the agreement covers the Volkswagen Group’s global product portfolio, so we may finally see some form of connectivity in Volkswagen products here.

"We are delighted to collaborate with Volkswagen through this patent licensing agreement," said Vincent Lin, Head of Patent Licensing at Oppo.

"Volkswagen IP team's hard work and foresights in recognising the value of this cooperation are highly appreciated. This partnership is further recognition of Oppo's leadership in cellular technology innovation and our commitment to creating a long-term, healthy and sustainable intellectual property ecosystem that empowers long-term innovation and industry growth."

As of March 2025, Oppo has filed more 113,000 patent applications and holds more than 62,000 granted patents globally.