The as-yet-unnamed brand of handsets could launch in the burgeoning Indian market as early as next month, according to a report. March 7, 2014 5:15 AM PST Former Apple CEO John Sculley at a Forbes conference last year. (Credit: Screenshot by CNET) Former Apple CEO John Sculley reportedly is planning to launch a smartphone brand in India, according to a report by BGR that didn't cite sources for the news. Smartphone usage is exploding in India, with major players like Apple and Samsung pushing their phones through distribution networks and Indian companies like Micromax luxuriating in annual growth in smartphone sales between 200 and 500 percent. Last year, Strategy Analytics said India had surpassed Japan to become the third biggest smartphone market in the world. Sculley, known for firing Steve Jobs from Apple in 1985, is said to be one of the founding partners of the as-yet-unnamed brand, which will be led by Ajay Sharma, currently the head of Indian handset maker Micromax's smartphone unit and previously HTC's India chief. With funding from Inflexionpoint, which is an IT supply chain company co-founded by Sculley, the new venture will launch a series of smartphones and a few feature phones as early as next month, according to the report. Sculley recently suggested a leaning to make a bid for struggling BlackBerry.
The as-yet-unnamed brand of handsets could launch in the burgeoning Indian market as early as next month, according to a report.
Former Apple CEO John Sculley at a Forbes conference last year.
(Credit: Screenshot by CNET)
Former Apple CEO John Sculley reportedly is planning to launch a smartphone brand in India, according to a report by BGR that didn't cite sources for the news.
Smartphone usage is exploding in India, with major players like Apple and Samsung pushing their phones through distribution networks and Indian companies like Micromax luxuriating in annual growth in smartphone sales between 200 and 500 percent. Last year, Strategy Analytics said India had surpassed Japan to become the third biggest smartphone market in the world.
Sculley, known for firing Steve Jobs from Apple in 1985, is said to be one of the founding partners of the as-yet-unnamed brand, which will be led by Ajay Sharma, currently the head of Indian handset maker Micromax's smartphone unit and previously HTC's India chief.
With funding from Inflexionpoint, which is an IT supply chain company co-founded by Sculley, the new venture will launch a series of smartphones and a few feature phones as early as next month, according to the report.
Sculley recently suggested a leaning to make a bid for struggling BlackBerry.
