MWC 2012 – Panasonic Eluga hands on review
Does Panny's waterproof sliver of a smartphone have what it takes to shine out among the tough competition here in Barcelona?
Panasonic Eluga – overview
The Gingerbread-toting Panasonic Eluga is a refreshing handset which sets itself apart from the competition with a uniquely elegant waterproof design. However, its paltry 1,150mAh non-removeable battery and flash-less camera leave little to be desired in the specs department, on paper at least. Read on for our hands on impressions….
Panasonic Eluga – design and build
The Panasonic Eluga’s extreme sturdiness meant that not a single creak could be coaxed out of it during our flex test, and its round-tapered edges, thin profile and minimalistic front make for a very good looking handset. Our only grip was the slightly awkward placement of the power and volume buttons on the rear curved edge and the small battery capacity which was the sacrifice made for such a thin body.
Panasonic Eluga – screen
The 960×540 resolution in the Panasonic Eluga’s 4.3inQHD OLED display may not be the highest we’ve seen here at Barcelona, but icons still looked razor sharp to our eyes with rich deep blacks and vivid colours being represented in abundance.
Panasonic Eluga – performance
The dual-core 1Ghz processor found in the Panasonic Eluga showed signs of struggling during the skinned Gingerbread homescreen transitions which was disappointing. We’re told that the phone will be chowing down on Ice Cream Sandwich in the Summer, whose increase in hardware optimisation should hopefully increase performance.
Panasonic Eluga – camera
The Panasonic Eluga’s 8MP camera took clear, well-defined pictures, though we didn’t get a chance to test it out in low lighting conditions. That’s just as well really, as it lacks flash capability, rendering in rather obsolete in the current camera phone market. Video recording was very smooth and clear at least, with clear and fluid recording and playback.
Panasonic Eluga – first impressions
Specs wise the Panasonic Eluga won’t set anything ablaze, especially with a flash-less camera and small-capacity battery. But if you take in to account the solid build quality and the future Ice Cream Sandwich improvements then the Eluga begins to look more and more attractive as a very unique mid-high range smartphone for the fashion-conscious gadgeteers out there. If the Eluga is a sign of things to come from Panasonic mobile’s foray outside of Japan then we look forward to seeing what other mobile goodies are hidden away up their sleeves.
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