Panasonic to expand smartphone business to European market

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Panasonic says it will expand its smartphone business to the European market in March 2012. The company says it also aims to bring its overseas smartphone sales to nine million units in fiscal year 2016, ending March 31, 2016, using Europe as a stepping stone to the global market.

With the mobile phone market rapidly shifting to smartphone usage worldwide and a steady growth expected particularly overseas, Panasonic said it aims to tap into this growth with its first global model smartphone for the European market in March 2012.

The main characteristics of the global model are:

nAn ultra-slim D-shaped design for easy portabilitynSlim bezel with high viewing quality Quarter HD (QHD) 4.3-inch large organic light-emitting diode (OLED) screennWaterproof and dustproof for ease of handlingn

Using this as a reference model, Panasonic will expand its lineup, aiming at sales of 1.5 million smartphones in Europe next fiscal year. Furthermore, in fiscal year 2016, Panasonic targets global sales of 15 million units, including nine million in Europe, Asia, China, and the United States and six million in Japan (of which five million are smartphones).