Panasonic are known for their quality Plasma and LCD HDTVs that often win awards from the press. Now according to a report on TechRadar the company is currently developing their own OLED TV, which will go up against rival offerings from LG and Samsung. Panasonic admitted they didn’t have one ready yet, and to some will be seen as a failing by the company.

At the show rival manufacturer Sony didn’t have an OLED to show off, but instead revealed its own Crystal LED technology. President of Panasonic, Fumio Ohtsubo, said that the company’s OLED display will be going on sale around the time of its rivals sets.

He said that the company couldn’t reveal one at the show, “but we are certainly developing it”. Ohtsubo continued that if LG and Samsung release theirs this year the company would “try and make sure we are not too late.”

Trouble is in the short term the technology will still be expensive, but as the competition between the various companies heats up they may begin to fall. Other HDTV technologies have seen their prices fall dramatically in recent times, but in the meantime OLED TVs will remain rich people’s toys.

Would you like to have an OLED TV?

More About: OLED TV, panasonic

For more Product-Reviews.net coverage:

• Follow Product Reviews on Twitter
• Become a Fan on Facebook
• Subscribe to PR
• Download our free apps for iPhone and iPad

The company has now revealed the first smartphone it will be using to make its comeback to the European market. According to SlashGear the unnamed device will have a 4.3-inch qHD 960 x 540 OLED screen. It will also feature NFC compatibility housed in a nice slim line “D-shaped” form factor.

It is expected to be arriving in March 2012 and will also bring with it some of the features Japanese consumers have been able to enjoy for some time. Potential customers will be able to have a smartphone that is both dustproof and water proof. Many Japanese devices offer these features but normally lack in specifications and functionality, so if Panasonic wants to do well any models will need to meet both of these requirements.

The image you can see above will be the reference design that the company will be basing a variety of new models. Panasonic are aiming for 1.5 million unit sales in Europe during 2012, and will see a global rollout of the handsets that will include the US and Asia.

Currently the Android market is extremely crowded with a lot of competition so Panasonic will have to offer something pretty special to make an impact. Will you consider a handset from Panasonic?

More About: oled, panasonic

For more Product-Reviews.net coverage:

• Follow Product Reviews on Twitter
• Become a Fan on Facebook
• Subscribe to PR
• Download our free apps for iPhone and iPad

Back in 2005 the company did make a brief showing in the smartphone market in the region, but found it hard to compete with the more established players in the market. Now according to Mobile Please Panasonic are looking to regroup and have another go at selling handsets in Europe as well as China.

There is also talk the company will enter the American market as well with devices running the Android operating system. The company already has some handsets available in Japan that uses its Lumix camera technology with around 13 megapixel sensors. It is being reported that Panasonic are looking to sell around 7.5 million units in other regions by 2015.

But the thing is will they be able to tempt consumers away from more established companies such as Apple, HTC and Samsung? If they can get the smartphone side of things right including the price having a higher end camera will be a nice bonus for many consumers, as many now use their smartphones more for taking photos.

What do you think would you consider a Panasonic Lumix smartphone?

More About: Android, panasonic, Panasonic Lumix

For more Product-Reviews.net coverage:

• Follow Product Reviews on Twitter
• Become a Fan on Facebook
• Subscribe to PR
• Download our free apps for iPhone and iPad

Take Panasonic for example and their newly launched range of Toughpad Android tablets, which are harder than Apple’s iPad and are so rugged that they would certainly win in a physical fight between the two. This is because they are designed to withstand a lot of abuse much like the company’s Toughbook notebook family.

The company first revealed the Android-powered devices on Monday, which come in both a 10” and 7” option, and from what we know so far they seem pretty impressive despite lacking a little attractiveness. The 10” Toughpad A1 is the first model and is packing GPS, optional WiMAX or LTE connectivity, 16GB storage and a 1.2GHz dual-core processor.

When it comes to the toughness of these devices, they are in a league of their own. According to BGR the 10” displays are both anti-glare and anti-reflective. Not only that, but the devices are dust and water resistant, can withstand a fall of up to 4ft, work in all kinds of temperatures and have a battery life of up to 10 hours. They can be purchased for $1,299 and start going on sale in spring next year. The 7” Toughpad B1 is expected to be released a little later in the year than the Toughpad A1. Check out BGR for the full press release.

What do you think of these new tablets from Panasonic? Could they be the next iPad beaters?

More About: Android, Apple iPad, panasonic

For more Product-Reviews.net coverage:

• Follow Product Reviews on Twitter
• Become a Fan on Facebook
• Subscribe to PR
• Download our free apps for iPhone and iPad

The camera that has been expected for quite a while now will sit alongside other devices in the G range, and according to TechRadar has been in development for a while. It will feature a micro four-thirds size 16.0 million pixel Live MOS sensor. There are a variety of features that include automatic shooting modes, full manual control, and a touchscreen to control autofocus.

The accurate AF promises high-speed focusing that Panasonic claim is the fastest AF speed in cameras of its size at 0.09 focusing speed. This was previously held by the Olympus PEN-PS, and the GX1 has a shooting speed of up to 20fps.

Panasonics range of G series shooters are compatible with a wide range of lenses that include the new X Zoom lenses that were announced earlier this year. There is also a Venus Engine image processor that can go up to ISO 12800. The AF modes on the GX1 include face detection, multiple- area, and AF tracking, and it has an on-board flash.

What is become the norm on cameras of this type is the LCD touchscreen, and you will find full HD video capture in AVCHD with 501 stereo sound. The price of the new Lumix GX1 in the UK will be £499.99 for the body, or for £599.99 you will get the 14-42mm standard lens kit.

In December the 14-42 X lens kit will be available for £729.99. While in the US the standard lens kit will be priced at $800, and $700 for body only.

More About: panasonic, Panasonic Lumix GX1

For more Product-Reviews.net coverage:

• Follow Product Reviews on Twitter
• Become a Fan on Facebook
• Subscribe to PR
• Download our free apps for iPhone and iPad

The way the company is able to achieve this miniature snapper’s compact design is by making use of a compressed twin lens system which features folded optics. This gives them the ability to pack a device that’s a similar size to a standard 2D compact pocket camera, with 3D video recording and high definition 2D or 3D photo capabilities.

As for the specs, the Panasonic DMC-3D1 features a pair of 25mm wide angle lenses capable of 4x optical zoom, a 12 megapixel high sensitivity MOS sensor with noise reduction technology, which suppresses both low frequency noise in light area and high frequency noise in dark areas allowing for sharper image capturing, it also utilizes 8 megapixels for its Full HD 1080p video capture that runs at as much as 8 frames per second, and for its 3D images and has a 3.5” Smart Touch display.

According to Let’s Go Digital, the DMC-3D1 energy consumption stays so minimal that the battery life is expected to last for as long as a single lens compact digital camera’s battery life would. The device also has iA mode which combines multiple functions in order to achieve the perfect shots. Although there are no details about pricing revealed as of yet, the device is expected to cost around about $500. Check out the link above for more details about the Panasonic DMC-3D1.

What do you think of compact 3D cameras? Will they last or are they just jumping on the 3D bandwagon?

More About: 3D cameras, panasonic

For more Product-Reviews.net coverage:

• Follow Product Reviews on Twitter
• Become a Fan on Facebook
• Subscribe to PR
• Download our free apps for iPhone and iPad

According to Reuters Sony is planning to pull out of its joint venture with Samsung for producing its LCD panels for TVs. This will mean Sony will then outsource production for the panels to other component suppliers. The company is struggling with its loss making TV business, and it is thought wants to focus more on mobile technology.

Sources are claiming that Sony wants out of the agreement with Samsung as quickly as possible, but hasn’t reached agreement about the move. The breakup has been rumored for a few months now, and Sony is looking at a loss for its TV arm for eight years in a row.

They have already sold off some factories in Mexico, Slovakia, and Spain that made TVs in recent years, and already outsources over half of its production to other companies. Meanwhile What Hi-Fi is reporting that Panasonic are set to cease production of TV panels at two of its plants, with one making LCD and one plasma.

The company is looking to restructure its loss making TV arm, and comes as the company slashes it forecast for TV sales for the current fiscal year. The sector is suffering from global oversupply that is making it harder for companies to return a profit as prices fall sharply. The situation could be compounded in the coming years with Apple looking to dip is toe in the market with its own branded TVs.

More About: apple, panasonic, sony

For more Product-Reviews.net coverage:

• Follow Product Reviews on Twitter
• Become a Fan on Facebook
• Subscribe to PR
• Download our free apps for iPhone and iPad

In what is a major tie-in for the company, Panasonic have announced that residents in the UK who purchase either a Blu-ray player or Blu-ray Home Theatre systems, will get the original Star Wars trilogy on Blu-ray free according to TechRadar. The series of films is one of the most eagerly awaited releases for the format in recent times.

The Blu-ray format is beginning to grow as the price of the discs is lower than a few years ago, and the fact that successful franchises such as Star Wars become available. Panasonic has had a long relationship with 20th Century Fox with Blu-rays; it was the first company to bring Avatar to the UK on the format in an exclusive deal.

The complete collection of Star Wars films is being released on September 12th, but if you purchase a qualifying product from Panasonic you can get episodes IV, V and VI free. The Blu-ray players that are part of the deal include model numbers BDT110, 210, 310, PWT500. The Blu-ray Home Theatre systems which are included are BTT262, BTT270, BTT362, BTT370, BTT775, and BFT800.

There is also a couple of Blu-ray recorders included in the deal which are BWT700 and BWT800. The deal runs from today until December 31st, and to get your hands on the free Blu-rays you have to register on the Panasonic Star Wars website. Then once the trilogy becomes available you will be sent your free set.

This offer makes buying a nice new Panasonic Blu-ray player even more appealing than usual, and the films will really show off the technology at its best. Will you be getting the Star War movies on Blu-ray when they are released?

More About: Blu-ray, panasonic, star wars

For more Product-Reviews.net coverage:

• Follow Product Reviews on Twitter
• Become a Fan on Facebook
• Subscribe to PR
• Download our free apps for iPhone and iPad

The price and the design of the GF3 was always going to be a worry for Panasonic, as $600 is a lot to pay for those who are not that adapt at the world of photography, and those who feel that the camera does not have that much to offer – so Panasonic are in a catch 22. So there is nothing that they can do about the features, or lack of them, so the easiest thing for them to fix is the price.

DPReview has given the Panasonic Lumix GF3 an in-depth review and it has not fared that well, but is it really as bad as they make out? There is still a market for the new camera, but it is a very limited one. However, the target market will love the GF3, as it does offer a number of enhancements over its predecessors. However, when compared to a Sony NEX-C3 it was left felling a little inadequate.

As with all reviews there are always pros and cons, and there seems to be a fine balance between the two. DPReview loved the high quality sensor and improved ISO performance when compared to the previous model, along with an improved touchscreen interface. Other good points include Picture-in-Picture manual focus, Fast-focusing AF system and improved skin tone rendering to name a few.

However, let’s not get too ahead of ourselves, as there are more than enough bad points to counteract these, such as no Rear Click Dial, EVF Port or Flash Hotshoe. The biggest issue has to be with the size of the body itself, as when it comes to putting on a larger lens the whole thing feels a little awkward. Red-eye looks to be a huge issue with the GF3, as the flash it just too close to the lens, which seems to be a common problem with a number of other cameras on the market today.

Panasonic has certainly gone backwards with the GF3, so it looks as though they will now have to rethink their strategy when it comes to the GF4.

More About: panasonic, Panasonic Camera

For more Product-Reviews.net coverage:

• Follow Product Reviews on Twitter
• Become a Fan on Facebook
• Subscribe to PR
• Download our free apps for iPhone and iPad

As Dana Wollman over at engadget.com recently noted, the Panasonic Toughbook S10 looks fairly similar to the older S9 model that it’s replacing, but comes with a few changes. For example, the S10 is powered by an Intel Sandy Bridge Core i5-2520M processor (2.5GHz), and comes with 4GB – 8GB of RAM and a battery that provides up to 12.5 hours of usage.

The Toughbook S10 – which weighs in at just three-pounds – also offers optional Gobi2000 mobile broadband, as well as other enhancements that will increase its performance. The S10 supports both USB 2.0 and USB 3.0, and comes with VGA and HDMI outputs, Bluetooth v2.1 + EDR and Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g/n).

Thanks to its shock-mounted flex-connect hard drive – which provides users with 320GB of storage space – and its magnesium alloy case, the Panasonic Toughbook S10 can withstand up to a 30” drop to the base while operating. The S10 notebook also boasts a spill-resistant keyboard and touchpad that will protect against spills of up to six ounces.

The S10 – which runs on the Windows 7 Professional (32-bit or 64-bit) operating system – also boasts a 12.1-inch widescreen WXGA LED-backlit LCD display with an anti-glare screen treatment, a DVD drive, and a host of security features including a cable lock slot, Intel Anti-Theft Technology and an optional fingerprint reader.

As for pricing and availability, the Panasonic Toughbook S10 notebook is expected to arrive in the United States sometime in September 2011, and will be available to purchase for around $2,449 from authorized Panasonic resellers. Are you familiar with Panasonic’s Toughbook series?

More About: panasonic, Sandy Bridge

For more Product-Reviews.net coverage:

• Follow Product Reviews on Twitter
• Become a Fan on Facebook
• Subscribe to PR
• Download our free apps for iPhone and iPad