Panasonic ELUGA Hands-on Review
The ELUGA is one of the first phones, marking Panasonic's return to the European market. However, what we like about it is that it reminds more of a Japanase model, than a European one - it is slim, yet rugged. Yes, although it is only 7.8mm thick, it has IP57 certification, so it is dust proof and it can be submerged in water up to 3 feet/1 meter for up to 30 minutes. Great for those crazy parties....
Panasonic boasts that the ELUGA comprises of 66% screen and has one of the largest screen-to-body ratios on the market, thanks to the almost nonexistent screen side bezel, and the compact ergonomic shape. However, we aren't really impressed by this. Yes, it is narrow, but it is not really a "frameless" design and it is a pretty long phone. In addition, its sharp edges make it feel big in the hand, and not small. No matter what its overall volume is. What we also dislike is the placement of the power and the volume keys - due to the 'ergonomic shape' they are somewhat almost at the back, rather than on the right side. The inconvenient placement makes them a lil bit hard to find and use, but still they are better position than on the ELUGA Power.
Specs-wise, nothing extraordinary. The screen has a qHD 540x960 resolution, the processor is dual-core at 1GHz and the camera is 8-megapixels. Not too shabby, but nothing spectacular either.
What we saw here on the MWC show is ELUGA running on Gingerbread, with slightly personalized interface. It is expected to launch in April and the company promises the Ice Cream Sandwich update for the summer.
Panasonic ELUGA Hands-on video:
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