Panasonic to launch Android mobile phones in Europe

Panasonic has announced plans to re-launch its range of mobile phones in Europe, after an absence of almost six years.

The Japanese manufacturer said it would launch its first 'global' smartphone next year. The new handset will be released in Europe in March 2012 and later in the US, China and elsewhere in Asia.

Panasonic said the phone featured a 4.3-inch OLED screen and would be waterproof and dustproof. The company did not confirm any other specifications for the handset.

The pictures of the handset that the company issued showed an NFC logo, raising the possibility that the device would support Google Wallet for mobile payments.

"We are well aware of our powerful competitors," said Toshinori Hoshi, head of Panasonic's mobile communications unit. "However, market shares are changing dramatically and if we launch into this fast-changing market, we believe we have a chance of a hit."

The company said it hoped to sell 1.5 million smartphones in Europe in the next financial year, with the aim of reaching 15 million handsets worldwide by 2016.

Panasonic has not sold mobile phones in Europe since January 2006 but it continued to make handsets for the Japanese market.

Category: Android