Obi Worldphone announces Silicon Valley-designed Smartphones in Nigeria

Obi Worldphone, the global smartphone company has made a private yet memorable entry into Nigeria with the official unveiling of its latest smartphones – the Obi Worldphone SF-1 and SJ1.5 along with an exciting line up to be introduced in the months to come.

The Brand hosted a number of Nigeria's foremost bloggers, entertainers and media personalities to a cocktail event yesterday at the prestigious Villa Medici, Victoria Island, Lagos where guests experienced the versatility of the smartphones and got to take the devices home.

In a brief but exciting session the Vice President, Mobility Africa, Praveen Rane took questions from guests. He stated that the name 'Obi' is derived from the word 'Mobile'. excluding three letters and the flagship brand name SF-1 is derived from San Francisco, the city in the Silicon Valley where the phones are designed.

Co-founded by John Sculley, prominent tech investor and former CEO of Apple and Pepsi-Cola, Obi Worldphone offers a smartphone experience that is rich, personal and elevated.


Designed by renowned San Francisco-based design studio Ammunition, Obi Worldphone™ SF-1 and SJ1.5 are set apart by iconic industrial design. Both devices come loaded with Obi Lifespeed, a custom user interface for Android that unifies the software and hardware experience. Obi integrates design with high-end technology from Qualcomm, Dolby, Sony, Corning Incorporated, Google, MediaTek, Japan Display, Inc. and Samsung to deliver a powerful performance, which appeals to the young, and aspiring tech-savvy population globally.

According to IDC, Nigeria saw year-on-year smartphone shipments grow by 135% in Q1 2015, making it one of the biggest markets in West Africa for the sector. As consumers in Nigeria continue to leverage the improving connectivity infrastructure and the opportunity to process information on-the-move, Obi Worldphone aims to occupy a niche segment by being the first to bridge the gap between premium-design high-priced smartphones and generic design low-price smartphones with its new range.

Commenting on Obi’s entry into Nigeria John Sculley said: “Obi Worldphone offers a great proposition for tech-savvy consumers in Nigeria, who want to experience the best technology available in the smartphone market. We have worked with Robert Brunner and his team at Ammunition to combine the best in class technology in Obi smartphones to deliver unique and exciting experiences for the user. Our goal is to use Obi devices to cater to an undeserved section of the highly commoditized smartphone market through premium design and functionality.”