Apple, smartphone world about to face new disruption as former Apple CEO transforms low-cost Android phones

When a former Apple CEO and a lead designer decided to team up to transform competing Android phone, experts believe that that market may be in for a new kind of disruption. John Sculley and Ammunition Group's Robert Brunner have teamed up to bring high-end features to Android smartphones in the form of Obi. Will Obi become a competitive product against Apple and the rest of existing smartphone players?

Sculley is best known for the man who pushed Steve Jobs out while Brunner, who previously ran Apple's industrial design, was the man who hired Jony Ive. These former Apple alums are looking to join the smartphone market through a new line called Obi.

While Obi may feature high-end industrial design similar to Apple, it is not targeting a similar market. Instead, the product line is attempting to bring Apple's high-end approach to the low-cost market. Consequently, low-cost Android phones can be considered as one of the "fastest growing segment of the international smartphone market," according to Fast Co Design.

Imagine Apple's design philosophy on US$200 [AU$280] phones -- it is bound to make headlines. Although similar companies like Motorola have tried promising the same thing, Sculley shared he is not afraid of the challenge. According to the former CEO, he is not worried about participating in such a highly competitive and extremely price-conscious sector.

"I love commodity industries," Recode quoted Sculley. “You can’t get more commodity than sugar water.”

Sculley’s Obi Worldphone SF1 offers much for a phone with a low price. The SF1 comes with a Qualcomm Snapdragon chip and Sony camera. Other features include black metal finish and Dolby sound.

“Good design doesn’t have to be expensive if you are smart about it,” explained Brunner. This design company, Ammunition Group, now holds an equity stake at Obi. For the software, the current offering runs on stock Android based on Lollipop. Obi does come with a unique look and feel with its icons.

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