Panasonic has launched Eluga Switch, its latest smartphone in the Eluga Series.The unique feature of the phone is that it is reversible and lets you speak even when the phone is held upside down. It has JBL powered 1.2W dual front speakers with Hi-Fi sound quality and dual microphones. The 3D audio technology ARKAMYS, ensures excellent tonal quality, rich bass and a natural sound, said the company. Alcatel OneTouch introduced its IDOL 3 smartphone with a similar feature earlier this year, and this smartphone looks similar to it.
It packs a 5.5-inch 1080p screen, is powered by an Octa-Core Snapdragon 615 SoC and runs on Android 5.0 (Lollipop) with a reversible UI that automatically adjusts the orientation. It packs 2GB and 32GB of internal storage, but it lacks a microSD expansion slot. It also has 4G LTE connectivity with support for bands 1,3,7,8,20, but no details about LTE band 40.
Panasonic Eluga Switch specifications
- 5.5-inch (1920 x 1080 pixels) Full HD IPS OGS fully laminated display with Asahi Dragon Trail Glass protection
- 1.5 GHz Octa-Core Snapdragon 615 processor with Adreno 405 GPU
- 2GB RAM, 32GB internal memory
- Android 5.0 (Lollipop) with Reversible UI
- 13MP rear camera with LED Flash, 1080p video recording
- 8MP front-facing camera with 84-degree wide-angle lens
- 3.5mm audio jack, FM Radio, JBL powered 1.2W dual front speakers
- Dimensions: 152.7×75.14×7.4mm; Weight: 141g
- 4G LTE / 3G HSPA+, WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.1, GPS, NFC, USB OTG
- 2910 mAh battery
The Panasonic Eluga Switch comes in Gun Metal Grey color and is priced at Rs. 19,990. It also comes with a premium JBL headset in the box.
Commenting on the launch, Manish Sharma, Managing Director, Panasonic India said:
We have been successful in building an exhaustive and robust range of smartphones in India, starting April 2013. As our presence in the market has expanded significantly and to get the best of this growing segment, the Eluga Switch is our answer to the consumer’s demand for a Panasonic engineered premium smartphone. As we see immense growth opportunities in the Smartphone segment, we have introduced the Switch which synthesizes Panasonic’s flagship Japanese technology with preferences of the Indian consumer into one, easy-to-use, seamless smartphone.
Pankaj Rana, Business Head, Mobility Division, Panasonic India, further added:
The Eluga Switch does exactly what it was imagined to do, offer two vertical screen orientations in one handheld device. A user can effortlessly ‘switch’ between an upright and inverted smartphone. The Switch is the epitome of consumer preferences, designed by keeping into consideration extensive customer feedback and expert technology.