As advanced smartphone features like fingerprint sensors continue to extend down the spectrum from their saturating presence at the high end, a new smartphone from an unlikely ally is helping to push things along. The P1, a new budget handset from soda maker Pepsi, of all companies, is now available via JD.com, a Chinese e-commerce site.
It’s currently on a limited run priced at 699 yuan, or about $109.48 USD, and its price will rise to 999 yuan, or $156.47, after that initial supply of a thousand units is sold. Even then, it will be one of the cheaper smartphones on the market, especially considering its features: An octa-core Mediatek MT6592 chip, 2GB of RAM, 16GB internal storage, a 13MP rear camera, 5MP front-facing camera, and 4G network access. The device also sports a 5.5″ HD screen, and it runs on Pepsi’s own Android 5.1-based dido OS. The P1’s fingerprint sensor is just below the rear camera.
The launch arrives as rumors swirl that Samsung is working on its own cheap smartphones featuring embedded fingerprint sensors. Some other smartphone makers, meanwhile, have already brought fingerprint sensors to budget-priced smartphones; CoolPad, for example, launched its Dazen Note 3 this past summer. With even Pepsi getting in on the action, we can expect many more inexpensive sensor-equipped devices in the near future.
Source: The Times of India
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