Former Apple CEO Creates an iPhone Competitor

An anonymous reader links to Fast Company's profile of Obi Worldphone, one-time Apple CEO John Sculley's venture into smartphones. The company's first two products (both reasonably spec'd, moderately priced Android phones) are expected to launch in October. And though the phones are obviously running a different operating system than Apple's, Sculley says that Obi is a similarly design-obsessed company: "The hardest part of the design was not coming up with cool-looking designs," Sculley says. "It was sweating the details over in the Chinese factories, who just were not accustomed to having this quality of finish, all of these little details that make a beautiful design. We had teams over in China, working for months on the floor every day. We intend to continue that process and have budgeted accordingly." Obi is also trying to set itself apart from the low-price pack by cutting deals for premium parts. "Instead of going directly to the Chinese factories, we went to the key component vendors, because we know that ecosystem and have the relationships," Sculley says. "We went to Sony. It’s struggling and losing money on its smartphone business, but they make the best camera modules in the world."

Comments

Rounded Edges

[Anonymous Coward]

Only two rounded edges, maybe he hopes Apple will only half-sue him.

"sweating the details in the Chinese factory"

[nitehawk214]

Yeah, you might want to think about how you word that.

John Sculley?

[Anonymous Coward]

Thanks but no thanks. Chernobyl. Three Mile Island. John Sculley. There are something that you should avoid at all costs.

Re: Newton II...

[binarylarry]

The headline should have read "Idiot who almost killed Apple does obvious business thing."