Panasonic will release a new Smartphone next year:
Europe will get a new Panasonic smartphone in March 2012 as the Japanese technology manufacturer makes a return to old markets they tested and then retreated from pretty quickly.
According to SlashGear the new Panasonic phone will have a 4.3 inch qHS 960 x 540 OLED screen. And will, as expected, feature NFC capability, there is however no news on specified hardware or O/S just yet.
Sleek design:
The picture seems to suggest that the end design will be aesthetically pleasing, which Panasonic are known for in a boring kind of way, nothing too crazy here, but understated class seems to be their design ethos.
With no name as of yet, the device looks set to hit US shores in 2013. So we can see, like HP, they are not rushing this, even though the likes of Nokia perhaps are, this is more understandable for Nokia because unlike Panasonic they do not have strength in depth as a company.
Dust and waterproofed:
The device looks set to be a toughened up device, with a dust-proof and waterproof casing, this is nothing new, but will make sure that the model stands up to other more hardy varieties, which seem to be pretty popular despite the fact that Gorilla Glass is as tough as old boots, and the build quality of most smartphones is pretty damn durable despite looking a bit flimsy and weak to the eye and hand.
They are looking to achieve sales of 1.5 million units in Europe alone in 2012, which is quite a high threshold to aim for if they are not releasing until March.
After this release they will be looking to push 9 million global sales by 2016 after the device is rolled out across the international markets.
Are Panasonic playing at smartphone design here? Or, do you think they can differentiate their own Android smartphone from the plethora of other options on the market from well known device manufactures like Samsung, HTC, Motorola, etc.
Anthony Munns