Apparently expanding beyond its core business function of, you know, making and distributing sodas, Pepsi told Techradar it will release a line of mobile phones and accessories targeting the Chinese market.
Why, you ask? As a Pepsi representative told Techradar, “Pepsi has always moved at the speed of culture, and today technology is a key cultural pillar at the heart of consumer interaction.”
The rep said, “Pepsi is working with a licensing partner to bring a line of mobile phones and accessories to market in China in the next few months. Available in China only, this effort is similar to recent globally licensed Pepsi products, which include apparel and accessories. Pepsi has no plans to get into the mobile phone manufacturing business, but we are committed to engaging with consumers in innovative ways to grow our brand. We’ll share more news as it becomes available.”
Chinese media have reported that the Pepsi P1 (the name of the phone) will use Google’s Android operating system and feature a 5.5-inch display, 13-megapixel rear-facing camera, 1.7 GHz CPU and 16 gigabytes of storage.
Techradar, in a report published prior to confirmation from Pepsi, pretty much summed up what everyone is thinking.
“Hugh Langley, Techradar’s Pepsi correspondent, said: ‘I prefer a nice Fanta.’Â The question now is: will Coca-Cola react?”