Panasonic launches ELUGA: Stylish and slim Android smartphone in Europe

anasonic Europe has unveiled its new smartphone – the ELUGA – an ultra-slim, high specification waterproof smartphone for the style conscious.

The ELUGA – whose name stems from the phrase ‘elegant user-oriented gateway’ – weighs in at just 103g, making it one of the lightest Android™ smartphones in Europe. As well as being waterproof, the ELUGA packs one of the largest screen ratios on the market – with a display comprising 66% of the phone’s body, thanks to its super-thin frame.

With a 7.8mm profile along the entire length of the phone, the ultra-slim D shape is designed not to ruin the line of clothes – even the ELUGA’s high quality 8MP camera lens lies flat against the phone’s chassis.

The phone specifications include:

• An ultra-slim D shaped design, with a slender 123x62.0x7.8mm frame.
• International standard IP57 water and dustproofing. Protected for up to a depth of 1 metre for up to 30 minutes in water, and protected against dust (75 micrometers or less in diameter/no harmful deposit) if left near or in it for eight hours or less.
• Near-field communication (NFC) technology, meaning the phone is ready for ‘no touch’ interactions, including contactless payments.
• A 4.3 inch, 960x540, capacitive OLED QHD screen with one of the largest display area ratio on the market.
• Swipe and Share, letting users wirelessly ‘throw’ pictures from their phone to a TV or cloud service, or stream movies from their phone to a TV. The VieraRemote app also enables the phone to be used as a remote control for other electronic devices in the home (such as a VIERA TV, DIGA Blu-ray player and recorder, home cinema system, or digital still camera).
• An 8MP autofocus camera, with 8GB of integrated memory.
• A 1GHz dual-core processor (OMAP4430), with Android Gingerbread (version 2.3.5) on-board, to be upgraded to Ice Cream Sandwich from summer 2012.

The ELUGA will also feature ‘eco mode’, Panasonic's unique power-saving technology which provides significant environmental benefit by shutting down non-essential features when the phone is running low on battery power.

Toshiya Matsumura, General Manager, Head of Mobile Communications, Panasonic System Communications Europe, said: “Despite the unprecedented increase in the number of smartphone devices appearing over the last few years, we don’t believe anyone has yet managed to truly bridge the gap between style and substance. With the launch of the ELUGA, we’re aiming to prove it is possible to deliver style, function, form, and the very best underlying technology, all in a competitively-priced package.”

Panasonic ELUGA Specifications

• Dimensions: 123 x 62 x 7,8mm
• Display: 4,3“/ 10,9cm; QHD (960x540)
• Memory: 8 GB integrated memory
• GPS: On Board
• Weight: 103g
• Battery: 1150 mAh Battery (integrated)
• USB Connection: Micro USB Connector
• Headset: 3,5mm Headset Plug
• Internet Connection: GPRS/ EDGE/ HSDPA 14.4Mbps;
  HSUPA 5.76Mbps (HSPA+ 21.1 Mbps)
• Baseband: 850, 900, 1800, 1900 / Band1, Band8
• Bluetooth: Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR
• SIM-Card: Micro SIM
• Processor: 1GHz Processor (Dual Core)
• Operating System: Android Gingerbread 2.3.5
  Update to Ice Cream Sandwich 4.x in Summer 2012
• Camera: 8MP-AF Camera
• NFC: On Board
• Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n
• Waterproof&Dustproof: IP57
• GB-English Color: Silver/ Black
• G-Sensor: On Board
• Ambient Light Sensor: On Board

Photos of the ELUGA are available at: http://www.panasonic.eu/smartphones