Fax isn’t dead, at least not in Japan. In January last year, Panasonic introduced the “world’s first” paperless fax machine for the Japanese market. And today, the same company announced [JP] the KX-PW821, which is (according to Panasonic) the “world’s first” stylus-compatible fax/phone combo. In other words, it allows users to directly write messages on the 4.9-inch touchscreen and fax them with a push of a button.
In fact, the whole machine can be controlled via the touchscreen alone. It’s also possible to add notes to faxes you received and store them on SD/SDHC cards (this works for outbound faxes, too). Users can also make notes on the touchscreen during a phone call. Panasonic also throws in a functions that allow users to record phone conversations and avoid unwanted calls.
The digital fax/phone combo will go on sale in Japan on August 8 in black or white (price: $320). Don’t expect this device to appear anywhere outside this country though.