<p>Chinese smartphone maker Oppo said it will shut down its chip design unit, citing uncertainties in the global economy and the smartphone industry.</p>.<p>The company, one of China's best-selling domestic smartphone brands, said it will cease operations of its Zeku unit, which it set up in 2019. Its products include the MariSilicon X chip, which is a neural processing unit (NPU) that improves images for video and photography taken on smartphones.</p>.<p>"Due to the uncertainties in the global economy and the smartphone industry, we have to make difficult adjustments for long-term development," a company representative said.</p>.<p>China's smartphone market, the world's biggest, is struggling to recover from one of its worst ever slumps as cost-conscious consumers continue to shy away from big-ticket purchases even after the country's lifting of zero-Covid curbs.</p>.<p>In 2022, smartphone shipments fell 14 per cent, and total unit shipments fell below 300 million for the first time in a decade. In the first quarter, total smartphone shipments dropped 11 per cent year-on-year to 67.2 million units, the lowest quarterly total since 2013, research firm Canalys said last month.</p>.<p>Oppo and its Chinese rivals such as Xiaomi set up in-house chip design units in pursuit of self-reliance after the US crippled Huawei Technologies' smartphone division with sanctions that prevented it from sourcing key components.</p>.<p>Oppo is owned by BBK Electronics, which also owns Vivo, another top-selling Chinese smartphone brand.</p>
<p>Chinese smartphone maker Oppo said it will shut down its chip design unit, citing uncertainties in the global economy and the smartphone industry.</p>.<p>The company, one of China's best-selling domestic smartphone brands, said it will cease operations of its Zeku unit, which it set up in 2019. Its products include the MariSilicon X chip, which is a neural processing unit (NPU) that improves images for video and photography taken on smartphones.</p>.<p>"Due to the uncertainties in the global economy and the smartphone industry, we have to make difficult adjustments for long-term development," a company representative said.</p>.<p>China's smartphone market, the world's biggest, is struggling to recover from one of its worst ever slumps as cost-conscious consumers continue to shy away from big-ticket purchases even after the country's lifting of zero-Covid curbs.</p>.<p>In 2022, smartphone shipments fell 14 per cent, and total unit shipments fell below 300 million for the first time in a decade. In the first quarter, total smartphone shipments dropped 11 per cent year-on-year to 67.2 million units, the lowest quarterly total since 2013, research firm Canalys said last month.</p>.<p>Oppo and its Chinese rivals such as Xiaomi set up in-house chip design units in pursuit of self-reliance after the US crippled Huawei Technologies' smartphone division with sanctions that prevented it from sourcing key components.</p>.<p>Oppo is owned by BBK Electronics, which also owns Vivo, another top-selling Chinese smartphone brand.</p>