Panasonic 'to enter smartphone market'

Japanese electronics firm Panasonic is reportedly to launch a smartphone to challenge Apple's iPhone next year.

According to Reuters, the company will release the device in its domestic market in 2011 before rolling it out overseas during 2012.

Panasonic had previously withdrawn from foreign mobile markets in 2006, the news agency noted.

The new device will be based on Google's Android operating system, which allows users to make calls using VoIP services.

Osamu Waki, Panasonic's head of mobile communications, told reporters the manufacturer had "misjudged" the speed at which smartphones would be adopted.

"With the rapid shift to Android, we want to catch up quickly," he added.

Reuters said Panasonic aims to push its worldwide mobile phone sales to 15 million a year devices by 2015.

In related news, a recent report from International Data Corporation showed global vendors shipped a total of 81.1 million during the third quarter of 2010.

This represented growth of 89.5 per cent on the corresponding period of last year.