It took them quite a while, but as reported, Panasonic is finally ready to re-enter the global market for cell phones. After 2005, Big P has been selling handsets almost exclusively in Japan. The company today announced [JP] it will start expanding its mobile business to Europe in March 2012, starting with a yet to be named Android device.
Technical details are scarce at this point, but it seems clear that the biggest selling point will be the phone’s 4.3-inch OLED screen with QHD resolution (960×540). Panasonic also says that it will be NFC-equipped, with a “slim” and water- and dust-proof body (in black or silver).
The company views the European market as the first step to re-internationalize its mobile business: it plans to sell a total of nine million handsets in fiscal 2016 outside Japan (Europe, Asia, the US, China, etc.), plus another 6 million in its home market.
Panasonic hasn’t stated yet when (or if) this handset will hit America, too.
Seattle, WA
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Menlo Park, CA
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Berlin, Germany
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