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It was less than a year ago that Panasonic announced big plans to return to the Euro mobile scene with a few new Android models, but… that obviously didn’t work out. Panasonic’s pulling out of Europe again.
According to a translated piece from Japanese news source Nikkei, Panasonic’s tiny mobile presence will be “discontinued” within the EU market this year, with the company set to concentrate on partnerships in its home country instead.
Panasonic managed to release the Android powered Eluga model in the EU, a launch it substantially botched by announcing the more powerful, redesigned Eluga Power model before the first Eluga even went on sale. [The Verge]
Panasonic's Second Eluga, the Eluga Power, Has a Better Battery and Ice Cream Sandwich
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i didn’t even know panasonic made phones
I owned a Panasonic GD80, it was one of the first cam on the market at the time, this was long before the limes of iOS handsets and android handsets or even Sony existed on the mobile telephone market… Nokia were about of course, as we’re sharp.
Did the Eluga range ever launch in the UK? I kept my eye out for it out of interest but never heard much…
I reckon Panasonic could make decent phones, for some reason my mind thinks that Panasonic makes decent hardware?
I generally like Panasonic stuff so this seems a shame.
I have fond memories of my GD67 with the window in the rear to really personalise your phone.
They didn’t do enough to publicise this. If they ever want top try again I would suggest the following ideas.
Sell it with an unlockable bootloader
Use the latest version of stock Android
Give free copies to all the best know custom rom makers
This will create far more buzz in the Android community than a fancy ad campaign.
Did they even have a fancy ad campaign? I never saw one.
No, I don’t think they did, if they did it wasn’t that good if neither of us saw it. Another way they could get great publicity is by ponying up for a Giz UK Meetup.