PepsiCo to release its first smartphone in China

US food and beverage giant, PepsiCo Inc, has confirmed it will release a line of smartphones and accessories, with the help of a licence partner in China. Although, the company did not disclose the name of its licence partner, nor did it give any details about the smartphones.

"Available in China only, this effort is similar to recent globally licensed Pepsi products which include apparel and accessories," a Pepsi spokesperson told Reuters. The New York-headquartered company, however, clarified that it would not manufacture the devices.

Technology website Mobipicker first released leaked images of the Pepsi phone, along with a list of specifications, on Sunday (11 October). According to the portal, the phone would be called Pepsi P1 and could have a 5.5in 1080p screen. It would incorporate a 1.7GHz processor, 2GB RAM, 3,000 mAh battery, and a 13-megapixel camera.

Mobipicker further claimed, the phone could be priced at $200 (£130), may run Android 5.1 OS and would be released in Beijing on 20 October.

Soon after leaked images of the phone were reported, a verified page called "Pepsi phone" appeared on Chinese social media site Weibo. In the leaked images, the phone's home screen displayed the red, white and blue colour combination, similar to that of the company's logo, while the actual logo was seen at the back of the device.