Obi Mobiles, a company co-founded by former Apple CEO John Sculley, today launched its flagship handset for Rs 11,990 in the fiercely competitive Indian smartphone market.
The 'Octopus S520', which will be sold exclusively through online marketplace Snapdeal in the country, sports a five-inch display, 1.7 GHz octacore processor and the latest Android KitKat 4.4 operating system.
The dual SIM device features 1 GB RAM, 8MP rear camera, 2 MP front camera, 8 GB internal memory (expandable up to 32GB) and 1,800 mAh battery.
Obi Mobiles has also set up a country-wide network of over 95 service centres for after-sales support.
"S520 is engineered to highest quality specifications to reliably deliver a superior performance. This flagship device is an affirmation of our stated commitment to extend the best in class smartphone experience," Obi Mobiles CEO Ajay Sharma said.
Snapdeal Senior Vice President Tony Navin said the mobile phone market in India is growing manifold as customers are increasingly demanding newer technology and innovative products.
The Indian smartphone market is witnessing strong competition between local and international players, all vying to grab a share of the multi-billion dollar market.
According to IDC, smartphone sales in India grew almost three-fold to over 44 million in 2013, buoyed by affordable devices made by local firms such as Micromax and Karbonn.
In the first quarter of 2014, 17.59 million smartphones were shipped into India as compared to 6.14 million in the same period of 2013.
Samsung was the market leader (35 per cent market share in Q1), followed by Micromax (15 per cent), Karbonn (10 per cent), LAVA (6 per cent) and Nokia(4 per cent).
Affordable smartphones, especially those priced in the sub-USD 200 category (Rs 12,000), are doing well in the Indian market.
