Panasonic DMC-CM1 Smartphone

Two years after pulling the plug on its smartphone division, Panasonic is back with the DMC-CM1. Although smartphones wielding larger-than-normal cameras typically falter to competitors focused on offering a wider range of mobile features, Panasonic hones in on its strengths as a leader in digital photography with this model. Rivaling many top-tier point-and-shoot cameras, the DMC-CM1 houses a one-inch 20MP sensor attached to a f/2.8 Leica DC Elmarit lens with a mechanical shutter and a manual control ring. And to stand up against smartphone manufacturers like Samsung and Apple, Panasonic’s device offers a 4.7-inch 1080p screen, 16GB of local memory, 2GB of RAM, a 2,600mAh battery, and Android 4.4 running on a 2.3GHz quad-core Snapdragon platform. Scheduled to release in France and Germany later this year, a stateside release for the Panasonic DMC-CM1 smartphone has not yet been confirmed, so stay tuned.