Japanese manufacturer of electronics, Panasonic, have been reported by Reuters that they will be entering the smartphone business next year. With a launch of Android devices in Japan in early 2011, they will then release the phones to the rest of the world in 2012. According to the head of their mobile communications unit, Osamu Waki, “We misjudged the speed at which smartphones would be taken up in the Japanese market.” Joining the highly competitive smartphone market a bit too late is one thing, but hopefully they’ll be able to bring some new devices to match the veterans in the business. They plan to differentiate their handsets by emphasizing network capabilities with other Panasonic products. Say hello to the Android phone that can control your microwave oven, blender and vacuum cleaner. Hopefully we’ll see these devices sooner than later because I have a feeling that other manufacturers will implement the same thing in their new phones after hearing about Panasonic’s trump card.
