With smartphone sales declining in general, only a few brands are making profits out of them. Some smartphone manufacturers may consider quitting this market to focus on more profitable products while other brands might consider making smartphones and compete with their pricing or by adding some exclusive features. It was not too long ago since we started hearing rumors about a smartphone made by Pepsi and this weekend we even got to know some of the specs of the Pepsi P1, which is a mid-range offering that could be sold at a lower price than some of its competitors.
Now, a report from TechRadar confirms that the rumors are true and offers some more details about the plans that Pepsi has for their mobile-related products. “We are pleased to share that 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.”, said a spokesperson of the company, although no specific details were given regarding the specs of the phone or what the brand will offer to distinguish this phone from the rest. Also, we still don’t know what accessories they plan to bring, but they will probably be related to customizing the hardware.
Apparently, this lineup will only be released in China, as they have released some licensed Pepsi products including apparel and accessories. As for the reason for moving towards mobile products, the spokesperson commented “Pepsi has always moved at the speed of culture, and today technology is a key cultural pillar at the heart of consumer interaction”, so basically this new lineup will complement their other fashion-related products. The representative also communicated that “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.” It was hard to imagine them manufacturing smartphones, so this doesn’t come as a total shock. Some ways to grow the Pepsi brand could be related to offering entertainment content or exclusive media with some partners, possibly through a mobile app.