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Thursday, November 18, 2010

PANASONIC TO INVADE SMARTPHONE SALES IN JAPAN NEXT YEAR

Panasonic might not be new to the world of mobile phones, but it has been rather quiet in the smartphone explosion that has taken place. But fear not, as the people who brought you the cute GD50 and the clamshell GD88 will be back very soon. Speaking at a news conference yesterday, the ‘Taicho’ of Panasonic’s mobile division, Osamu Waki, admitted flatly that the company “misjudged the speed at which smartphones would be taken up in the Japanese market,” and that “with the rapid shift to Android, we want to catch up quickly.” Exact particulars on how it gives the iPhone (and the WinFags since we already have iFags) a good cat fight is still not clear, but Panasonic’s phones will indeed be based on Android, and it seemingly hopes to distinguish them from the overcrowded market by emphasizing their networking capabilities with other Panasonic products. Lumix-services anyone? As for when the first ones will roll out, Panasonic plans to kick off sales in Japan sometime next year, with overseas markets set to follow in 2012.

via Reuters

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