Panasonic is to enter the UK and European smartphone market next year with a range of new Android phones .
Reuters reports that the Japanese electronics giant is in talks with a major international telecommunications firm to bring its Android-powered smartphones to Europe in time for spring 2012.
If successful in Europe, the mobile handsets – which could include technology and branding from other Panasonic gadgets – will also be introduced in the North American and Asian markets.
According to the news agency, Panasonic Mobile Communications Co will develop and sell smartphones running Google’s Android mobile operating system, and the phones will be assembled at a group factory in Southeast Asia or by an electronics manufacturing service.
The company aims to sell 7.5 million mobiles – half of its overall shipments of these devices – outside Japan by 2015.
Panasonic withdrew from the mobile phone business in Europe and China in 2005 because of strong price competition and other factors.
