Panasonic ELUGA Pro Reviews

In the minus column, the battery life is poor, the camera lacklustre and there’s far too little storage on-board. But on the plus side, the Eluga is stylish, slim, light, waterproof and has a big, bright screen.

We were hoping for just a little more. The Eluga doesn't embarrass itself, with a subtle, appealing design and a capable screen. But while it can shrug off watery dangers, it can't do the same to serious software hiccups and missing elements -- like decent media storage, a camera flash and (at this price) a more competent processor. We wanted to welcome a new contender to a very hectic Android smartphone battle royale, but, at the moment, we have an also-ran. Panasonic has more than one chance to get it right -- hopefully it's learned a few lessons here.

The Panasonic Eluga marks the Japanese giant's return to the European smartphone market. And while the Panasonic Eluga impresses with its high quality build and graceful good looks, it disappoints on a number of fronts and is not the return to form that we'd hoped for. Ultimately, the Panasonic Eluga's slick design and impressive display are not enough to distract from its obvious shortcomings. It's a case of "must try harder" for Panasonic on this occasion. Let's hope that the Panasonic Eluga Power, the next handset set to land from the company, rights some wrongs.

A super-stylish waterproof smartphone, but it’s a limited by Android 2.3.5, a small battery and some annoying buttons

“Style over substance” – this is the idea around which the Panasonic ELUGA has been designed. It is the slim profile and low weight combined with resistance to dust and water damage that make this smartphone stand out. However, the poor audio quality, awkward buttons, and below average battery life are a bit of a letdown. Some of the Panasonic ELUGA alternatives that we would recommend include the Motorola RAZR, which is incredibly thin, yet technically superior due to its better hardware. The HTC One S is another great example of a well executed slim Android smartphone, and although it is not resistant to the elements, it is equipped with a better camera and speedier processor.

Panasonic set out to make a big impact with its return to the international market, and while the device's distinctive slim design succeeds for the most part, the phone is held back by lackluster performance both in terms of benchmarks and real-world use. The performance issues are made worse by Panasonic's decision to launch the phone with Android 2.3.5, an outdated operating system that makes the P-04D feel clunkier than it ought to. If you're looking for a waterproof phone that doesn't scream "rugged" in your face, or a design that's a little more subdued than what's out there, the Eluga is a good choice, particularly if you don't mind putting up with Gingerbread for the next few months. In the end though, if you need to get a lot of work done on your phone, or if you're looking for something to game on, it's hard to recommend the Eluga over phones like the iPhone 4S or the HTC One S.

Panasonic is a company that has a great range of products from televisions to cameras. Perhaps that raised our expectations of what the Eluga would offer, but it doesn't feel quite as mature as some of the company's other products. Certainly there are some highlights. The slim design is eye-catching and some might love that it isn't a huge lump in your pocket. The waterproofing takes away the worry of whipping it out in the street in a downpour and there is enough power to do the things that you expect a smartphone to do. This is set in the context of a user experience that lacks the refinement of HTC Sense or Samsung's TouchWiz, or just plain old Android 4. This isn't an insurmountable problem because much of this can be addressed by updates, changing the launcher or careful selection of apps. As it is, the out-of-the-box experience isn't compelling enough for us to set Panasonic above its rivals.

The Panasonic Eluga marks the manufacturer's return to the smartphone market with a sleek yet rugged Android phone which is waterproof, dustproof and light with some impressive specs, and TV owners with Viera Connect will love the Eluga's multimedia capabilities.