Handsets

Panasonic Lumix Phone 101P – Digital Camera Meets Android

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Forget those Android smartphones claiming to feature digital cameras “almost as good as a point-and-shoot.” Take a look at an actual 13MP digital camera with a full blown case of the Android OS. Besides its amazing camera, the Panasonic Lumix Phone 101P features a 4-inch qHD (960×540) resolution display and Android 2.3 Gingerbread. In case you were expecting a scrawny single-core processor inside, you’d be wrong. This baby is powered by a dual-core 1GHz TI OMAP4430 processor. Oh and I almost forgot — this thing is waterproof. Check out the full spec sheet:

  • Android 2.3
  • 4-inch QHD LCD screen with 960×540 resolution
  • 13.2MP CMOS Lumix sensor with “Mobile Venus Engine“
  • waterproof body (IPX5/7)
  • TI OMAP4430 dual-core CPU (1GHz)
  • compatible with SoftBank’s “Ultra Speed” high-speed data communication service (max. 21Mbps)
  • microSDHC card slot
  • IEEE802.11b/g/n Wifi
  • Bluetooth 2.1+EDR
  • infrared connection
  • e-wallet function
  • digital TV tuner
  • W-CDMA, GSM
  • size: 64x123x9.8mm weight: 128g

As you can see, this phone will come in more than one color option debut in Japan in November. No word from Panasonic if this device will launch in other markets. I don’t know about you guys but I’m hoping this Android digital camera/phone hybrid thing will catch on. Do you guys think it would be a hit?

[Via TechCrunch]

Chris Chavez
I've been obsessed with consumer technology for about as long as I can remember, be it video games, photography, or mobile devices. If you can plug it in, I have to own it. Preparing for the day when Android finally becomes self-aware and I get to welcome our new robot overlords.

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20 Comments

  1. I think it will do great, everyone has always been wanting to combine the two, and this looks like a great start, and the phone looks nice and slim like what everyone else wants. The specs looks attractive as well.

    I think it will catch on.

  2. Holy God. o_o

  3. If the flash is Xenon instead of LED, then yes, I would like this phone. LED flashes are horrible. Also, video quality. And battery life.

  4. that’s great finally the camera makers get into the game. and they play it well, this camera/phone looks amazing.

  5. What I’m waiting for is the phone that is also a media device… And I mean a real one, like the itouch.

    http://crazyassvideos.blogspot.com

  6. always only in japan~~haiz

  7. this….looks….sick

  8. This thing is awesome and waterproof is a selling point….waterproof cameras are amazing!

  9. 13mp on a cellphone sensor? That is going to suck! Even if it is a Panny. I “love” how they even tried to make the lens look bigger than it really is.

    1. Damn. It does look that way, doesn’t it? I didn’t look very closely at first and was thinking this looked great. Hopefully someone will get this concept right sometime.

      1. Yeah, the upper photo made me think that they did something amazing. When I scrolled down and looked at the pink photos, it was clearer as to what they were doing.

  10. That does look sick! And everything sounds like it’s been thought out to be a major contender in the android market. Esp the dual core and WATERPROOF?! Really!! I want

  11. Does it have a front facing camera?

  12. honestly i think that it would be better as just a camera with wireless data transfer. that’s just my opinion though. specs look really good, and i’m digging the waterproof bit.

    1. Yep.. If it was a good camera with wifi, and GPS and downloadable maps and Android, and good sunlight vewiable display.. it would rock without the phone.. would be a perfect travel camera.

  13. I like the Lumix glass lenses, having owned a Lumix ZS-3, and the waterproofing! But the off center lens reveals a non-mechanical design. As well, the Xenon flash size, if it’s actually Xenon, appears rather small. An underspec’d Xenon is worse than LED, which you can at least use as a torch and for night time video. Lastly, the LUMIX CMOS sensor with Venus engine is great as long as you have decent light capturing capabilities…but the lens size on the 101P suggests otherwise. Of note, the Lumix Compact Zoom ZS-3 has a sensor size of only 1/2.33, bigger than the iPhone 4’s, but much smaller than the N8’s at (1/1.83).

    I like Lumix products, but this one looks a bit gimmicky.

    1. Good observation. Yes, alas, this has no optical zoom. See the original plans announced 1yr ago: http://www.pcworld.com/article/206949/panasonic_shows_its_first_lumix_phone.html
      Based on the announced 27mm equivalent and the inscribed max aperture of 2.4 and lens focal length of 3.7, the sensor size will be 1/3.2″, plus it has 13.1MP jammed in there, talk about a wasted effort. Definitely gimmicky to make it look like it has optical zoom. It does however sound like this Lumix phone will be the first phone camera to offer optical image stabillization, which will actually be a huge boon. Plus waterproofing would sure come in handy. But I still can’t wait till we get a good Android phone with optical zoom and a decent-sized sensor. Would be nice if Samsung would update their http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_sch_w880_amoled_12m-review-398.php with all the latest goodies. Guess I’ll still have to carry a P&S around for a couple yrs.

  14. Microsoft that a xenon flash or led. If xenon flash Nice irked flash Massive fail.

  15. I’d need to see some test shots from real users before buying one, but I love the idea.

    One thing you’re all missing: It’s a camera that can upload straight to Google+!

  16. This thing is set up to be a phone, look at the speaker and mic locations. TV tuner is interesting, love the water proof.

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