Obi Worldphone MV1 launched at MWC 2016; features dual-SIM and Snapdragon 212 processor

Smartphone maker Obi has launched a new handset aimed at young professionals called the Obi Worldphone MV1. The MV1 is a budget smartphone that is priced at $149 (approx. Rs 10,000) and will be made available across markets in Asia, Africa, Latin America, and Europe. The smartphone will be available in two variants, one that sports 2GB of RAM and the other 1GB, but both will feature 16GB of internal storage. The MV1, like past models has been designed by Ammunition, a design Studio based in San Francisco, and features a “sculptural look” keeping in mind Obi’s ethos of fashion, form, and function. More importantly, the smartphone will be the first one from Obi’s stable to pack in both stock Android Lollipop 5.1 and Cyanogen OS 12.1.1. Coming to the specs of the Obi Worldphone MV1, it sports a 5-inch HD (1280x720 pixels) display with a pixel density of 294ppi, which is protected by Corning’s Gorilla Glass 3. Hiding right behind it is a 1.3GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 212 processor with an Adreno 304 GPU.  In the camera department we get an 8MP rear camera with autofocus and an f/2.2 aperture. On the front, we get a 2MP sensor for selfies. Apart from the 16GB of internal storage that comes as standard on both variants, we also get microSD card support for cards of up to 32GB in capacity. The connectivity options on the MV1 include, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Wi-Fi direct, Bluetooth v4.1, GPS/A-GPS, GLONASS, and a Micro-USB port for charging and data transfers. Obi Worldphone Co-founder John Sculley commented,“This is an industry with 200 different brands vying for consumers’ attention. There will be 1.4 billion Android phones produced in 2016 alone, so there needs to be a way to stand apart from the pack,” says Obi Worldphone Co-founder John Sculley. “The components for all these different phones are mass produced, in the same countries, and often in the same exact factories. What we’ve done with the Obi Worldphone from the very beginning is show that it’s possible to have a beautifully designed phone that fits into your lifestyle at an accessible price without sacrificing form and technology. You don’t have to give up style in exchange for substance. With the MV1, you can have both.”. The Obi Worldphone MV1 will be available immediately in Asia and Africa and will come to other markets in March. This time around Obi seems to have taken the traditional route to selling its Worldphone MV1 by making them available both online and in brick and mortar stores.