Obi Worldphone SF1 – Sturdy and Interesting – Review
Obi Worldphone is a company founded by the famous John Scully, ex-CEO of Apple and probably named after a Star Wars character Obi Wan Kenobi master. The company is based out of California, USA. Obi introduced their first mobile a few years back and then they went back to their drawing boards for while. Now Obi Worldphone is back in business with Obi Worldphone SF1. The SF in SF1 stands for San Francisco as the mobile was designed in San Francisco. Obviously the mobile is manufactured in China, but it is designed by California-based Ammunition groups. Ammunition designed the product, UI, packaging and also the marketing materials for Obi SF1.
Obi Worldphone SF1
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CPU:
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RAM:
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Storage:
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Display:
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OS:
A floating high-resolution screen sets the tone for the power of surround sound and performance of professional camera equipment. With leading-edge processor and battery life, Obi Worldphone SF1 is built for living.
Designed in San Francisco, every element, every curve, every finish matters. The iconic silhouette shows off a distinctive unibody design with elegant metallic accents and signature floating glass display.
The elevated 5-inch screen will be the first thing you notice about the Obi Worldphone SF1. Experience incredible brightness, rich contrast and stunning color clarity. Enjoy all your photos and movies in glorious Full HD resolution on a display with extraordinary pixel density – and it’s crafted from Gorilla® Glass 4 for unsurpassed feel, strength and quality.
Obi Worldphone SF1 is packed with new technologies for taking brilliant photos. Indulge yourself with the 13 Megapixel rear-camera featuring automatic focus, LED flash and powered by the highly acclaimed Sony Exmor RS™ sensor for crisper, sharper and more exciting photos; and that’s just the start of what SF1 can do.
Specs
General
| Status | Available |
Display
| Display Type <strong>Display Technology => </strong> A number of display technologies and types used in mobile phones => TFT (Thin Film Transistor), IPS (In-Place Switching), OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode), AMOLED (Active-Matrix Organic Light-Emitting Diode), Super AMOLED (an even advanced version of AMOLED), Resistive Touchscreen (Resistive touchscreens contain two layer of conductive material with a very small gap between them which acts as a resistance), Capacitive Touchsceen (Capacitive touchscreen technology consists of a layer of glass coated with a transparent conductor) | In-Cell IPS |
| Size | 5 inch |
| Resolution | 1080 x 1920 pixels |
| Pixel Density <strong>Pixel Density (PPI)</strong> is refers to the concentration of pixels on a particular display, measured in pixels per inch (ppi). Pixel density is calculated by dividing the diagonal pixel resolution of a display by its diagonal size, higher pixel density better display quality. | 443 ppi |
| Display Protection <strong>Display Protection => </strong> Gorilla Glass is a special alkali-aluminosilicate glass shield with exceptional damage resistance that helps protect mobile displays from scratches, drops, and bumps of everyday use, It is always better to go for a smartphone with Gorilla Glass for that added protection and peace of mind. | Corning® Gorilla® Glass 4; Oleophobic Coating; Fully-laminated OGS (One Glass Solution) |
Hardware
| Chipset <strong>Chipset</strong> is a group of integrated circuits designed to perform one or a more dedicated functions, often with real time computing constraints, Popular smartphones are equipped with more advanced embedded chipsets that can do many different tasks depending on their programming. | Qualcomm® MSM8939 Snapdragon™ 615 |
| CPU <strong>CPU</strong> (Central Processing Unit) mostly known as processors, CPU processes instructions in order to carry out certain functions that make your device operate properly. Processors are often described as the brain of computers, smartphones and tablets, Smartphones and tablets rely on processors to carry out their every task, Processors are an incredibly important factor in selecting any type of computing device, including your smartphone. | 1.5 GHz 64-bit Octa-core processor |
| GPU <strong>GPU</strong> (Graphics Processing Unit) is a single-chip processor designed to rapidly manipulate and alter memory to accelerate the creation of images in a frame buffer intended for output to a display, This includes things such as lighting effects, object transformations, and 3D motion. | Adreno™ 405 GPU |
| RAM (Memory) <strong>RAM</strong> (Random Access Memory) is a type of computer memory that can be accessed randomly, any byte of memory can be accessed without touching the preceding bytes that allows information to be stored and accessed quickly from random locations. RAM is the most common type of memory found in computer systems, smartphones, tablets and other electronic devices. | 32GB Internal Storage + 3GB RAM / 16GB Internal Storage + 2GB RAM |
| Internal Storage <strong>Internal Storage</strong> is a data storage space (flash memory) mostly used in smartphones, tablets and other electronic devices where operating system, apps, music, photos, videos, files and other user data Is stored. | 32GB Internal Storage + 3GB RAM / 16GB Internal Storage + 2GB RAM |
| Card Slot <strong>Memory Card Slot</strong> is a special slot for inserting a memory card. Memory cards allow you to expand the phone's built-in memory, A memory card (sometimes called a flash memory card or a storage card) is a small storage medium used to store data such as text, pictures, audio, and video, for use on small, portable or remote computing devices such as mobile phones, mp3 players, digital cameras. | Hybrid |
| Sensors <strong>Sensors</strong> are electronic components that detects and responds to some type of input from the physical environment. The specific input could be light, heat, motion, moisture, pressure and location, The output is generally a signal that is converted to use in computing systems, a location sensor, such as a GPS receiver is able to detect current location of your electronic device. | Accelerometer, Proximity, Magnetic, Gyro, ALS (Ambient Light Sensor) |
Battery
| Battery Type <strong>Battery Type => </strong> Cell phones run on various kinds of batteries depending on the manufacturer, phone size or shape and features. There are basically four types of cell phone batteries => Lithium Polymer, Lithium Ion, Nickel Metal Hydride and Nickel Cadmium. | Li-Poly (Lithium Polymer) |
| Capacity <strong>Battery Capacity</strong> is a measure (typically in Amp-hr) of the charge stored by the battery, and is determined by the mass of active material contained in the battery. The battery capacity represents the maximum amount of energy that can be extracted from the battery under certain conditions. | 3000 mAh Li-Po battery |
| Standby <strong>Standby Time</strong> is the total amount of time that you can leave your is fully charged, turned on and ready to send and receive calls or data transmissions before completely discharging the battery. | up to 20 days* |
| Talk Time <strong>Talk Time</strong> is the longest time that a single battery charge will last when you are constantly talking on the phone under perfect conditions, Ambient temperature and highly dependent on the cellular network environment such as the distance to the closest cell network tower. | up to 28 hours (2G)* up to 23 hours (3G)* |
| Fast Charging | Quick Charge™ 1.0 |
Camera
| Primary <strong>Camera</strong> is able to capture photographs and usually videos, The most important characteristics of a camera are the resolution (measured in megapixels), lens focus type (fixed or automatic), higher megapixel cameras are known to capture higher quality photos, but not always a good measurement of the photos quality. | 13MP |
| Camera Features | Auto Focus with LED Flash; Sony Exmor IMX214 Sensor; f/2.0 Aperture |
| Secondary | 5 MP with LED Flash |
| Flash <strong>Flash Light => </strong> There is commonly two types of flash lights are used in camera mobile phones, LED Flash (LED flash offers lower power consumption with drive circuitry that takes up very little room, LEDs can be strobed faster than any other light source), Xenon Flash (xenon flash produces an extremely intense full-spectrum white light for a very short duration) | Single LED |
Design
| Type <strong>Design Type</strong> called form factor refers to a mobile phone's size, shape, and style as well as the layout and position of major components of phone. There are three major form factors seen in mobile phones => bar phones, folding phones and sliding phones. | Bar |
| Dimensions | 146 x 74 x 8 mm |
| Weight | 147g |
| Protection | Corning® Gorilla® Glass 4; Oleophobic Coating; Fully-laminated OGS (One Glass Solution) |
| Colors | Black |
Network
| SIM <strong>SIM</strong> (Subscriber Identity Module) is a small card that contains mobile network subscriber's account information. This allows the phone using the card to attach to a mobile network. The SIM card is most commonly associated with GSM and UMTS mobile networks. Moving a SIM card from one phone to another allows a subscriber to switch mobile phones without having to contact their mobile network carrier. SIM cards can also be used by a phone to store limited amounts of data, such as phone numbers and text messages. | Micro SIM |
| Dual SIM | Dual SIM (1 Micro + 1 Nano / MicroSD card hybrid) |
| 2G Network | GSM: 850/900/1800/1900 MHz |
| 3G Network | WCDMA: 850/900/1900/2100 MHz |
| 4G Network | 4G LTE: FDD B3 1800 MHz & TDD B40 2300 MHz |
Software
| Operating System <strong>OS => </strong> Every computer system run on a base software called Operating System (OS). Operating System controls all basic operations of the computer (such as smartphone, PDAs, tablet computers and other handheld devices). The Operating System allows the user to install and run third party applications (apps), apps are used to add new functionality to the device. | Android 5.0.2 Lollipop |
| User Interface <strong>UI</strong> or user interface of a device is the look and feel of the on-screen menu system. How it works, its color scheme, how it responds to button presses, all of these things are part of the user interface. | Obi Lifespeed |
Connectivity
| Bluetooth <strong>Bluetooth</strong> is a wireless communications technology for exchanging data between mobile phones, headsets, computers and other network devices over short distances without wires, Bluetooth technology was primarily designed to support simple wireless networking of personal consumer devices. | v4.0, A2DP |
| Infrared <strong>Infrared</strong> connectivity is an old wireless technology used to connect two electronic devices. It uses a beam of infrared light to transmit information and so requires direct line of sight and operates only at close range. | |
| Wi-fi <strong>Wi-Fi</strong> is a popular wireless networking technology using radio waves to provide high-speed network connections that allows devices to communicate without cords or cables, Wi-Fi is increasingly becoming the preferred mode of internet connectivity all over the world. | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Dual-Band, Wi-Fi Direct |
| USB | MicroUSB v2.0 |
| GPS <strong>GPS</strong> The Global Positioning System is a satellite-based radio navigation system, GPS permits users to determine their position, velocity and the time 24 hours a day, in all weather, anywhere in the world, In order to locate your position, your device or GPS receiver must have a clear view of the sky. | A-GPS, GLONASS** |
| NFC <strong>NFC</strong> (Near field communication) is a set of standards for smartphones and similar devices to establish peer-to-peer radio communications with each other by touching them together or bringing them into proximity, usually no more than a few inches. |
Benchmarks
| 3D Mark Gamers Benchmark | SlingShot 3.0 - 153 |
| Antutu | 34608 |
| Basemark OS 2 | 871 |
| Basemark X | 10133 |
| Charging Time | 2:43 |
| Discharge Time | 1 day 1 hour |
| Geekbench 3 Multicore | 2629 |
| Geekbench 3 Single Core | 677 |
| GPU Benchmark | 11630 |
| Nenamark 2.4 | 59.6 |
| Quadrant | 3604 |
| Velamo Browser | 2119 |
| Velamo Metal | 962 |
| Velamo Multicore | 1287 |
Reviews
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Obi's budget phone that looks & feels premium
One thing that I like is that Obi has paid particular attention to design, something that most companies in this price segment tend to overlook. It is a budget or mid-range device that looks premium. Also, the specifications are pretty good for the price tag it comes with. I liked the camera features too…one can do a lot of things with it. But, at the very first instance what I particularly loved is the way its UI, a cool colourful circle, stands out. However, the thought of it slowing down the device may be something that needs addressing, but it is not really a problem, probably a matter of an update. Overall, I loved the fact that someone has tried to create something beautiful which is also approachable to most people.
In the Box
The Obi SF1 comes in a unique packaging. It is packed in a transparent acrylic plastic box and emulates a premium device like an iPod touch. Inside the packaging is the Obi SF1 secured in place with rubber bushings. Opening the box would reveal the 2A charger and the USB data cable along with some instruction material. Check out the unboxing video.
Design
The Obi SF1 is a design centric device. A lot of thought has been put into designing this mobile. It is designed for ergonomic convenience and aesthetic appeal. It has a metal body all around but it is not slippery because of the matte finish on the carbon colored body. The top and bottom are differently colored metal, but it’s still metal. Also the physical buttons are made of metal. The volume button and the power button are both placed on the left which is a bit unconventional. The buttons are flush with the body and at times it becomes difficult to search for the button by feeling the sides. The buttons have good mechanical feedback, but you may need to press deeper as it sits flush with the body. The Speaker grills at the bottom has a single speaker. The 3.5 mm audio jack is at the top along with a noise cancelling mic. The back has the 13 MP camera with a single LED flash. The front facing 5MP camera has a single LED flash. The back is sealed and houses the 3000 mAh battery.
The display is elevated from the body of the mobile by a few mili meters. The raised display is something we haven’t seen in any mobiles so far. The display is surrounded by a thin plastic casket to protect it. Also it is Corning Gorilla glass 4, so there is little to worry about breaking or damaging the display. Frankly I don’t see any value addition or better experience because of the raised display. The raised part near the earpiece presses against the ear lobes and it irritates while on long calls.
The mobile supports dual 4G SIM cards (Micro and Nano). If you wish to expand the memory, it can be done by swapping the second nano SIM card with a microSD card. The SIM tray is on the left and it can be ejected with a sim pin. Overall the mobile is sturdily built. Shiny or glossy finish would not only render mobile slippery but on a long run the signs of wear and tear would be visible. But the SF1 is designed to look good from day one and to last for a long time.
Display
The 5 inch in-cell IPS display panel is manufactured by JDI and it supports Full HD resolution. It is a fully laminated one glass solution with Corning Gorilla Glass 4 protection. The quality of the display is good. The ambient light sensor is not calibrated correctly and I had to manually adjust the brightness of the display. The color reproduction is natural and fairly accurate. Touch is very responsive and I don’t find anything to complain about the display quality. It is just right for the price paid.
Hardware and Performance
The Obi SF1 come in two variants: 16 GB internal storage with 2 GB RAM and 32 GB internal storage with 3 GB RAM. My review unit is a 16 GB variant. But both the variants are powered by Qualcomm® MSM8939 Snapdragon™ 615 64-bit Octa-core processor clocked at 1.5 GHz. It has Adreno 405 GPU. During my review period, I practically threw in over 50 apps and games. I filled the internal memory to the brim and also used a 32 GB SanDisk ultra memory card for videos and music. The mobile handled it with ease. Some apps did crash occasionally, but that’s because of network issue and more to do with the apps than the device’s capability. I played some graphic intensive games and the mobile showed no signs of frame drop or lag. The heat was also within acceptable limits. Just to re-iterate, I was testing with the 2GB RAM variant and still the performance on this mobile was commendable.
Also the mobile has Obi LifeSpeed UI skinned on top. This UI has a lot of unnecessary animations for all the micro interactions. The UI was very laggy and the animation was slow enough to frustrate me. I immediately installed Google Now Launcher and was much relieved with the usual launcher experience. Obi SF1 does have the option to emulate native android experience, instead of LifeSpeed, yet it was laggy and I prefered a 3rd party launcher on the mobile for a better snappier experience.
The inbuilt speakers were good, though mono. There is another feature to be highlighted in the SF1. It supports Dolby multichannel audio. The effect of Dolby is best experienced when the mobile is connected with a high-end speaker system or a good quality headphone. It doesn’t make any difference in quality on the inbuilt speakers, except that the volume appears amplified. The channel separation, quality and depth of audio is best experienced with worthy speakers.
Software
Obi SF1 runs on Android 5.0.2 with Obi LifeSpeed UI skinned on the top and as I mentioned the performance of the UI was not so pleasing. The lag is noticed while opening every single app, be it native or downloaded. Unwanted animations cannot be turned off. The the UI can be made to look like traditional android UI, it still has the lag. That makes me “not-a-big-fan” of the Obi LifeSpeed UI. I hope Obi fixes the issue with software updates.
Camera
Obi SF1 has a 13 MP primary camera and a 5 MP self portrait snapper. The front camera may be just 5 MP, but it is truly impressive. The details it captures in daylight, I have not seen even in some high end self portrait oriented mobiles. It also has a single LED flash for the front camera. It has a plethora of features including face detection, red-eye reduction, skin smoothing, etc… But under low light, using flash or not, sharpening algorithm is applied and the images are not naturally sharp. Otherwise the colors are natural and brightness and contrast levels are decent enough for a good portrait.
The primary camera has some interesting features like the opti zoom for digitally enhanced zoom shots, refocus for shoot now and focus later, chroma flash for natural shots using flash. Apart from these IQ Camera features, the UI presents a bunch of presets for different shooting conditions. I found the auto mode to be good enough for most conditions. The images out of the camera have good sharpness under daylight and but under low light grains appear and the images are not of good quality. I prefer to use the Chroma flash feature under low light. It clicks two shots: one with flash and one without flash and then merges it to create a optimally exposed image.
To sum up, the camera in the Obi SF1 has interesting features and a great performer under ample light conditions.
Battery
The device is powered by a 3000 mAh Lithium Polymer battery and is equipped with quick charge 1.0. I didn’t get to test the quick charge feature, as my review unit didn’t have a charger in it. With a normal charger it takes about 2:45 hours to charge the battery. With a Quick Charger, it should definitely be faster. Also on a single charge, the device last for 24 hours of normal usage. It does not have wireless charging. If a device lasts for more than 24 hours, I would say that it has good battery.
Verdict
The Ob1 Worldphone SF1 is an interesting device and it looks different. It has a sturdy body construction and built to last long. The camera is good and the performance is commendable. It is priced rightly at Rs 11999 for the 16 GB version and Rs 13999 for the 32 GB version. The LifeSpeed UI is not fast enough and it is an achilles heel for the product. I installed a third party launcher and the device got snappier. The raised display does not add any value and I wish it had flat display for a smoother feel in the hand. If you are looking for a sturdy device with good performance under 15k, go for the 32 GB version of the Obi SF1. If you want a pretty looking device, then you can opt for the Vibe S1 or the OnePlus X. If you want a better value for money, get the Coolpad Note 3, which is on our recommendation list. The Mi4i is also a good contendor, but the Obi SF1 is an interesting mobile and will make heads turn and people will definitely notice it in your hands. With that I leave you with a few images of the mobile and here is the link to register and buy the mobile.
That’s a wonderful review. I like the way you have captured the device. i kinda like the raised glass, it certainly has a design value and difference. To get a designer product with tnice tech at this price is really goood.
Thankyou
This review helps. Many people out there are making smartphones but we do expect that someone from Apple background should offer something above the norm. I get a sense that Obi has managed to put together a feature rich device at a cost that is kind of affordable. I liked the overall look of the device, its stylish….looks different from all others in this price range. Also, I find camera and dolby sound features interesting.