Starck Tech, a subsidiary of Jyoti Group, the sole distributor of Obi phones in Nepal has introduced price drop in three Obi Worldphone Smartphones. The price drop is of Rs. 1800, Rs. 2000 and Rs. 2500 in the models SJ1.5, SF1(16/2GB), and SF1(32/3GB) respectively. Hence, the new price of Obi Worldphone SJ1.5, SF1(16/2GB), and SF1(32/3GB) are Rs. 12,999, Rs. 19,499, and Rs. 23,699 respectively. However, Obi MV1 is still priced the same at Rs. 15,799.

Obi Worldphone SJ1.5 (Specs Highlights)

• 5-inch (1280 x 720 pixels)
• Corning Gorilla Glass 3
• 1.3 GHz Quad-core Mediatek MT6580 Processor
• 1GB RAM
• 16GB internal storage, expandable memory up to 32GB with microSD
• Android 5.1 (Lollipop)
• 8MP rear camera with OmniVision OV8865 sensor, f/2.2 aperture, LED flash
• 5MP front-facing camera
• 3000mAh battery
• Price: Rs. 12,999

Obi Worldphone SF1 (Specs Highlights)

• 5-inch (1920 x 1080 pixels)
• Corning Gorilla Glass 4
• 1.5 GHz Octa-core Snapdragon 615 Processor
• 2GB / 3GB RAM
• 16GB / 32GB internal storage, expandable memory up to 64GB with microSD
• Android 5.0.2 (Lollipop)
• 13MP rear camera with LED flash, Sony IMX214 sensor, f/2.0 aperture
• 5MP front-facing camera with LED flash
• 3000mAh battery with Quick Charge 1.0
• Price: Rs. 19,499(2GB/16GB); Rs. 23,699(3GB/32GB)

Verdict:

Other than new releases, what excites me is the price drop. So, I take these price drops as something positive. But just the price drop doesn’t make these devices the good buying options. Yes, Obi phones come with a unique design that looks pretty sleek. But where exactly Obi phones lag from its competitors is the software that is based on outdated Android Lollipop. And, Software updates are something Obi hasn’t included in their “to-do-list”.

Last October Google Pixel and Pixel XL were announced. Since the announcement, Pixel devices received applauses in galore. The appealing features they possessed caught everyone’s attentions. The top-notch camera inherited by them and the leaving of the Nexus name by the Google were self-advertising in nature. They have also been able to prove themselves as the best contender in the flagship segment and as one of the best camera smartphones. Now there is another smartphone coming as the descendent of Pixel. Google officials have confirmed that the second generation of Pixel family is coming this year as Google Pixel 2. The official information came from Google’s head of hardware department, Rick Osterloh.

Rick Osterloh has been the responsible person on the production of Pixel devices. He fathered the Google Pixel devices and got them in good shape with good specs. So, regarding the future of Pixel devices, during a pressing meeting at MWC 2017 in Barcelona; he said “There is an annual rhythm in the industry. So, you can count on us to follow it. You can count on a Google Pixel successor this year, even if you don’t hear a date from me now.” Osterloh also hinted that the new generation of Pixel to have high-end design and appealing specs obviously residing in the “premium” flagship segment. He also shared that the current Google Pixel devices being insufficient to meet the demands. Through this information, he had shared the goodwill of Pixel devices and his expectation for its descendants.

If Google Pixel 2 comes in the market, it will have tough competitors like Samsung Galaxy S8 and Samsung Galaxy Note 8 from Samsung and iPhone 8 and 8 Plus from Apple. So, Google might do a lot of toils to bring it’s another premium handset. If that happens then we would be seeing lots of amazing specs in the Google Pixel 2.

I’ll ask you all a simple question. How many of you bought a new mobile phone this month? I ask this because according to a recent report by the Department of Customs, nearly 2 billion rupees worth of mobile sets is imported in Nepal every month.

With the increasing demand, the import of mobile phones, especially smartphones, is increasing exponentially. If the first seven months of the fiscal year is taken into consideration, mobile sets come right after petrol/diesel, iron, automobiles and grains in the import industry.

The report states that from the month of Shrawan to Magh, an average of 515,285 mobile sets was imported in Nepal. This roughly translates to around Rs. 1,979,800,022 worth of phones.

China is the leading exporter of mobile phones to Nepal. Vietnam, India, Hong Kong, Switzerland, Taiwan, the USA, and the UK follow shortly. 28 counties, including the aforementioned ones, added up to a total of 3,613,995 phones imported in the first seven months of the current fiscal year. China alone exported around 3.26 million mobile sets.

It is not a surprise that China is the leading exporter of mobile phones to Nepal. Most of the multinational mobile companies make their phones in China (Apple included). Likewise, brands like Huawei, ZTE, Gionee, Oppo and Xiaomi also produce their sets in China. Even the Nepali mobile phone brand, Colors, makes phones in the same country.

According to Nepal Telecom, over 4000 mobile brands have got the permit to sell their phones in Nepal. ‘Type Approval’, a permit needed to sell mobile sets in Nepal, had already been provided to 4,393 brands by last Kartik.