Introducing new Nokia OZO capabilities for 2019

In today’s ever-present world of social media, we are all storytellers. We know that the power of a captured moment can move millions. At Nokia, we create technology to connect the world. We envision expanding the possibilities of vibrant, human connectivity by pioneering smart device technologies. Nokia OZO is born from our rich legacy in mobile device technology – it was conceived to help tell our stories better.

Building upon and extending the Nokia OZO family

In 2018, we launched OZO Audio, the first portfolio in the OZO family of device technologies. For 2019, delving further into new consumer use cases, we extended that portfolio with powerful new features and introduced a second portfolio, OZO Playback, audio software that unlocks enhanced possibilities for the user listening experience.

Human-centric design approach

At Nokia, our innovation begins with a human-centric approach, solving problems and finding opportunities to enhance the end-user experience. With audio, the single biggest need is to recreate sounds with precision and accuracy, giving the sense of immersing the listener into the moment. OZO Audio comprises both capture and edit solutions to help users “live the moment” and share sonic stories with unprecedented accuracy, richness and creativity.

Audio 3D

Audio 3D (formerly OZO Audio) is the feature that delivers that immersive feeling. Imagine settings where you want to hear every last detail – a campfire at night, surrounded by the sounds of chirping crickets, crackling wood and friends singing to a guitar. Or, a street festival with a vibrant soundscape of musicians and dancers, and the bustle of urban celebration from every direction.

Audio 3D captures high fidelity audio and delivers a natural spatial sound experience without missing a moment.

Audio Focus

Now imagine a scene where there’s audio that stands out – a “hero” of the story. From evocative audio, like a street musician, to everyday audio, like just needing to hear a lecturer more clearly, Audio Focus allows you to isolate the sounds that matter most. Formerly called OZO Focus, it allows users to dynamically track an audio source even if it’s out of frame while eliminating distracting background noise.

Audio Zoom

One of our most exciting features is also one that’s the most glaringly absent in devices to date. Envision the everyday scenario of a proud parent watching from the side lines as their child celebrates her first soccer goal. How do you capture the sounds of the moment from afar? Or, how do you capture the spontaneity of a playdate lip-sync contest that would have never happened with an adult nearby?

Our product team asked the question, “Where’s the telephoto feature for your mic?” Audio Zoom is just that. It allows users to dynamically pinpoint and amplify sounds to correspond to zoomed video. Finally, there’s a “telephoto lens” for audio that lets you close that distance.

Audio Windscreen

Wind noise – it’s the one ubiquitous nuisance when it comes to capturing the audio of everyday life. Recording moments of that idyllic day at the beach can be ruined with even the faintest breeze. New for 2019, we introduced Audio Windscreen that enables users to capture crystal-clear audio quality in windy conditions. Sophisticated wind detection algorithms identify and automatically adjust suppression processing to suit the wind noise conditions. Now, you’ll never miss a moment to the wind.

Audio Tune

But capture is only one side of the audio equation. What happens post-capture? Virtually every camera phone user has edited a photo they’ve taken. So, what about audio? It’s a feature central to any user who wants to fine-tune content so it’s just right for their audience. Picture the daily vlogger recording an outdoor clip surrounded by noises that compete with their commentary. Audio Tune enables them to fine-tune their content with post-capture explore and edit capabilities, allowing them to adjust audio focus, zoom in on sounds, or suppress wind noise.

Designed to be shared

The exciting features of the OZO Audio portfolio are only as good as users’ ability to universally share their content. OZO Audio is designed to be delivered via standard formats for universal distribution and playback across a broad array of devices and the world’s most popular social media platforms.

Beyond audio capture – OZO Playback

Solving the everyday challenges of device audio is more than just about content creation, it’s also about content consumption. Introducing OZO Playback, a portfolio of audio software that unlocks enhanced possibilities for the user listening experience. From user-generated content to gaming and entertainment audio, OZO Playback elevates audio for unprecedented clarity and richness.

Launching with advancements in device speaker playback, adaptive stereo widening transforms stereo speakers using intelligent processing that broadens the sound field for truly stunning audio. With adaptive stereo widening, sounds spring to life.

The expanding OZO Playback portfolio will push device audio past its boundaries to enhance the full spectrum of the listener experience creating new possibilities for robust audio experiences.

Redefining audio in the smartphone era

Validating the meticulous design and engineering invested into the development of OZO is the growing interest from both customers looking to integrate OZO into their devices and the media. After just a year since launch, we are seeing promising momentum from around the world.

Digital Trends highlighted the distinct benefit of improved audio technology, saying

“…cell phones capture gorgeous 4K video alongside the same tired mono audio that your grandma listened to on her first radio… OZO audio aims to take existing phone hardware and up its audio recording quality.”

But the real proof point is OZO customer adoption. In May 2019, OPPO announced that it would integrate OZO Audio into its newest latest flagship device – the Reno 10x Zoom Edition. The OPPO Reno 10x Zoom will be shipped with Audio 3D and Audio Zoom features built in, a huge win towards our vision of pioneering smart device technologies for the consumer ecosystem.

This is only the start. Through OZO, we are creating next-generation audio and visual solutions for tomorrow’s content and beyond. Nokia OZO is redefining the standard in smart device audio and energizing consumers to new promises in audio innovation.

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