“The design was a fun initiative by the company to celebrate President Obama taking office,” says Alpesh Patel, director of Mi-Fone. “Our brand is stylish, youthful and celebratory, qualities which the new American presidency also shares and we wanted to mark the occasion in a lighthearted but accessible way.”
The Mi-Obama handset comes with colour screen, built in FM radio and torchlight features and is co-branded with the Obama colours and the "Yes we can" logo. Each handset cost KSH2900, roughly US$30.
Mi-Fone is specifically targeting the African mass market, with all their phones retailing at under US$100. The company however has no current plans for any further Obama phones. Instead the research and design team is working on a low-cost solar-powered model for the African market, where electricity is not always available or affordable.
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