Obi sets sights on Africa smartphone market; brand by former Apple CEO to launch in Tanzania in Q1 2015.

·         New venture led by former Apple CEO, former president of PepsiCo, and renowned tech investor John Sculley aims for rapid global expansion

·         Following its successful launch in India and the Middle East, Obi Mobiles plans substantial investments in to the Tanzania smartphone market

·         Signs on renowned regional IT distributor DESPEC as exclusive channel partner in Tanzania and other African countries

 

Dar es Salaam, Tanzania: 19 January, 2015 – Obi Mobiles, the new smartphone brand co-founded by veteran marketer and former Apple CEO John Sculley, is preparing an ambitious launch in Tanzania and other countries in East Africa, and has signed on DESPEC, the leading IT distributor as its exclusive channel partner in the region. The firm is set to roll out a superior line-up of Obi devices suited to consumers in the region in Q1 2015, with an aim to capture 5% market share by the end of this year.

John Sculley is an internationally renowned marketing expert, entrepreneur and investor in high-tech startups. He was vice-president (1970–1977) and president of PepsiCo (1977–1983), until he became CEO of Apple in 1983. He held that position till 1993 and, under his management, annual sales at Apple increased from $800 million to $8 billion.

A new entrant in the consumer technology sector, Obi Mobiles is a venture of Sculley’s Toronto-based Investment and Acquisition Company, Inflexionpoint. It marked its global launch in India, followed by the Middle East markets in 2014. The brand, which aims to attract the growing segment of young and trendy smartphone users, confirmed that Tanzania is an important market in Obi’s rapid global expansion strategy.

John Sculley, co-founder and managing partner at Inflexionpoint, says: “Our vision is to use Obi’s success in each new market to create an international brand, especially targeted at the feature-rich and trendy smartphone segment. Having launched in India and the Middle East, with a better-than-anticipated response, has helped us set the pace for the Obi expansion blueprint, and now we are expanding our strategy of effective brand building and marketing for superior mobile devices in other regions.

“The African markets present a huge opportunity for new smartphone devices, with a growing population of technology- and fashion-savvy youth. Consumers today want the best feature-rich smartphone experience at desirable price points, without compromising on quality. There is also a growing trend of feature phone users moving towards smartphones. Our analysis has revealed that consumers today are more likely to switch brands as long as they have sufficient incentive. Obi is uniquely positioned to leverage all these changing market dynamics.”