Panasonic left the European market six years ago after a serious of market flops and an obvious difficulty in getting competitive handsets to market. They vowed to return though, and finally Panasonic have returned with the Panasonic ELUGA smartphone.
The ELUGA is an Android smartphone with a 1GHz dual-core CPU, 1GB of internal RAM plus 8GB of internal flash memory (there is no mention of a microSD slot) and a 4.3" 540 x 960 pixel qHD touchscreen display. On the back is an 8 megapixel camera, but there doesn't appear to be one on the front. In addition to the usual options, the Panasonic ELUGA has NFC support built in.
One key difference with the Panasonic ELUGA is that this is a waterproof and dustproof handset rated to IP57 standards, and it can be immersed in a maximum of 1.5 metres of water for 30 minutes. Unlike the Motorola DEFY+, the ELUGA does not seem to have been ruggedised beyond that.
Inside the ELUGA is a 1150 mAh battery with Panasonic's "Eco Mode" power management application. The operating system is Android 2.3.5 with an upgrade to Android 4.0 promised in the spring. The handset measures a slim 123 x 62 x 7.8mm and is a relatively lightweight 103 grams. The ELUGA follows the recent fashion of taking a microSIM card rather than a standard SIM.
All the usual Android features are here too, including GPS, 3.5G support, WiFi, Bluetooth and USB connectivity.
The ELUGA is a handsome but slabby device that doesn't really distinguish itself in looks, but it should have some appeal because of the light weight, water resistance and we should imagine that the display Panasonic have chosen will be very good indeed.
Panasonic will be competing with arch-rivals Sony and the new Xperia S which is significantly more powerful. Hopefully, the ELUGA will be very competitive on price when it hits European markets from April 2012 onwards.
One key difference with the Panasonic ELUGA is that this is a waterproof and dustproof handset rated to IP57 standards, and it can be immersed in a maximum of 1.5 metres of water for 30 minutes. Unlike the Motorola DEFY+, the ELUGA does not seem to have been ruggedised beyond that.
Inside the ELUGA is a 1150 mAh battery with Panasonic's "Eco Mode" power management application. The operating system is Android 2.3.5 with an upgrade to Android 4.0 promised in the spring. The handset measures a slim 123 x 62 x 7.8mm and is a relatively lightweight 103 grams. The ELUGA follows the recent fashion of taking a microSIM card rather than a standard SIM.
All the usual Android features are here too, including GPS, 3.5G support, WiFi, Bluetooth and USB connectivity.
The ELUGA is a handsome but slabby device that doesn't really distinguish itself in looks, but it should have some appeal because of the light weight, water resistance and we should imagine that the display Panasonic have chosen will be very good indeed.
Panasonic will be competing with arch-rivals Sony and the new Xperia S which is significantly more powerful. Hopefully, the ELUGA will be very competitive on price when it hits European markets from April 2012 onwards.
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