CNET UK's very own Rich Trenholm caused a recent stir with his opinion piece on why tech companies should start putting phones in cameras, and not the other way round. Many of you agreed with Revolutionary Rich's radical rhetoric -- as did, it seems, Panasonic.
All I can say is that either Panasonic's tech wizards possess admirable foresight, or are super-speedy workers, for when the CNET contingent landed in Barcelona this week for Mobile World Congress, the Japanese company greeted the team with the very object of Rich's desire.
CNET UK's editor Jason Jenkins went hands-on with the gadget in question, dubbed the Lumix 101P, which you can see in closer detail in the video above. Panasonic's range of Lumix snappers has a sterling reputation, so retaining the branding is a wise move if this phone is to recommend itself to photo fiends.
At just under 10mm thick, the Lumix 101P is slightly wider at the waist than most of the new phones we've come across at MWC, but forget for a moment about fashion and fads, because there's some seriously slick tech built into this blower.
The Lumix 101P packs a 13.2-megapixel sensor, which while not quite as confounding as Nokia's attention-seeking, headline-grabbing 41-megapixel 808 PureView, is far more fancy than the 5- or 8-megapixel camera you'd find in most phones.
Before you get too excited, I must add this particular Lumix Phone will only be available in Japan for now. When asked whether it has plans for a European launch, Panasonic confirmed it did, and the Lumix Phones that make it here will run on Ice Cream Sandwich, the latest version of Android.
Would you like to see a Lumix phone in the UK? Do let me know in the comments below, or over on our Facebook page. For more on this innovative hybrid telecommunication and photographic device, hit play on the video above or take a look at Andrew's hands-on photos.
Make sure you keep it CNET UK for all the latest news and previews from MWC 2012.
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