Pepsi to start selling smartphones and accessories in China

Over the past few days, the rumour mill has been busy saying the Chinese subsidiary of PepsiCo is working on a Pepsi Android smartphone. However, it would have been pragmatic for the company to launch a Pepsi app rather than partnering with someone else to launch a full-fledged smartphone.

The device is expected to be priced around $205. That’s based of a pair of blurry renders though, and it’s possible the actual device could turn out pretty different.

Soft drink maker PepsiCo.is branching out in a new direction with news Monday that it’s about to enter the smartphone business (note we are not making this up). Powering it is a 3000mAh battery and in terms of imaging, there’s a 13MP rear camera and a 5MP front snapper. But that hasn’t stopped others from getting their hands on the specs of the upcoming smartphone – dubbed the Pepsi P1, according to Sina Technology.

“Available in China only, this effort is similar to recent globally licensed Pepsi products which include apparel and accessories”.

Mobipicker first reported that there were rumors about the smartphone, but Reuters confirmed its truth: a PepsiCo spokeswoman told the news outlet that her company is indeed releasing a phone.

The phone is said to be a mid-range Android phablet with a 5.5-inch screen, 1080 display, 1.7 Ghz CPU and 16GB worth of storage. It wasn’t until earlier this month when the specs of a possible Pepsi branded phone were revealed on the Chinese analogue for FCC, TEENA. “Regardless of the power of the Pepsi brand, it’s going to be tough”. “You have to wash it out with water”, said Davod Zimdars, a Diet Pepsi loyalist of 30 years, in an interview with Yahoo Finance. The unit’s details will allegedly be released on Tuesday, October 20. The phone would be powered by Android 5.1 OS, which is Lollipop, according to CNET.