Panasonic to launch Lumix DMC-CM10 without phone functionality

This is a terrible joke. I think the cm1 was a brilliant idea. But this - come on. If i have to carry two devices I will carry my cell and a real camera.

"Hey guys, let´s make a cameraphone without the phone?!"

- That´s absolute brilliant boss, you´re an effing genius! Now hand me some more of those shrooms and don´t bogart the mescal"

Many years after de iPhone was launched, Panasonic introduced the noPhone ...

Terrible move on Panasonic's part.
they should have kept the phone but made the sensor larger.
they could have even scaled back the processor if they needed to reduce costs.
or they could have taken out the selfie camera.
or they could have switched to a processor that lacks serious 3-D capability.
people who want a good camera phone would be willing to let go of the goal of making it a great phone.

BUT if they take out the phone capability, well that is just stupid.
especially because they left the phone modem in there!
it is so obvious, too. I guess groupthink took hold in their boardroom.

I guess I won't be switching to Android at anytime soon.

this is the stupidest idea I've ever seen in photography. It just went from "it's a very good camera, considering it's a phone" to "it's a very bad camera, every camera for the same price is better"

New and worsened! Now with fewer features!

That sounds like the basis of an appropriate Panasonic advertising campaign. :-)

*facepalms* just scrap the product.

So it no longer a phone with a camera welded on, it's a camera with data capability that runs Android.

That actually makes sense. Most people already have a phone they like, and they have no interest in buying or carrying a second phone. But a connected camera? That's a lot more interesting.

But they'd have been better off relaunching as a new product to avoid the obvious snarky comparisons to the previous model.

In other news, Honda announce a car without wheels, and Boeing are planning to introduce their latest airliner without any wings...

The pretty much the whole point of the DMC-CM1 was that it was a cameraphone; so removing the phone component is idiotic IMO.

The only reason I haven't bought a CM1 was that it was just too expensive. The CM10 hasn't really improved that, but it has removed the only reason I had for buying it!

It is like a super tiny Tablet with Cellular Modem that takes great pictures.
However, I am struggling to make sense of this product.
I don't care about the lack of phone because I use a Tablet Data plan with my phone which is cheaper and still can make calls & txt with Google Hangouts.
The current Android OS is 6 though so no sure why they are using 5 in a "brand new" product.

PART TWO
Secondly the younger generation (who often have the disposable income) tend to use voice calls less and less and are reverting to IM, social networking and the like. They often would rather message their friends than call them. Certainly it's becoming the case in Japan where this is targeted but also in other Western countries.

And for the rare occasions if voice is needed that can go over an app like WhatsApp etc.

So they don't need a voice call contract and a data only is sufficient. As someone who has dealt with the mobile phone network providers I can tell you that it may be a lot easier for Pana to offer this. Data only contracts tend to be cheaper.

Note also that the revenue stream for the contract goes through Panasonic.

No doubt Panasonic are testing the market but it could be a sign of thIngs to come.

Surely this is some sort of joke! A cell phone without any phone capability!

And it is the exact same device as their CM-1, but it won't include a phone. But it will still cost $850, thus proving that "less is more" or at least "costs more."

Didn't Samsung already do this with their Galaxy NX camera?

PART ONE
To all those who believe Panasonic have lost the plot with this, I say you may be proved wrong.
Certainly I believe Panasonic don't intend this to complement an already existing phone but to replace it and as such it's NOT meant as a competitor for any dedicated camera.

Secondly the younger generation (who often have the disposable income) tend to use voice calls less and less and are reverting to IM, social networking and the like. They often would rather message their friends than call them. Certainly it's becoming the case in Japan where this is targeted but also in other Western countries.

A super slim camera with a 1" sensor and a prime lens makes a lot of sense. Think of it like a Fuji X70 or Ricoh GR but about 1/3 as thick!

The problem, of course, is the price. The new TZ100 is priced a little bit lower and has a 1" sensor and the same f2.8 aperture on the wide end, but then adds an EVF and a massive zoom range.

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! Hooooo ho ho ho! Har har har har har! ....(cough).

Panasonic's innovative answer to the question, "hello, can you hear me now?", is a phoneless smartphone. We all knew it would come to this one day. "Desperate times call for desperate measures", that is if you can call at all. LOL

I think it would have been more logical if this WERE an update to the CM1.
Something like this:

20MP 1-inch CMOS sensor
F2.0 aperture (Leica lens)
24-135mm equivalent focal length
ISO 80-25,600
4K-video
Raw capture
3.0MP front camera
5.0-inch 1080p display (or better)
Android 5.x
XXX octa-core processor
4GB RAM
16, 32, 64GB memory options
microSD cards up to 128GB
3200mAh battery

Where on earth is Nokia? Brain dead?
They made dreams come true: A 41 mp camera, a GPS, and a phone, all in one handy piece of hardware, and now Panasonic comes with this??
Instead of adding/integrating more functionality they take the phone away now?

My pockets are running out of room.
I thought carrying multiple units was a thing of the past.
This is a step backwards, and, judging by the limited monthly production, Panasonic already has a feeling it won't sell very well. Could it be that they are just testing the market, especially that it is only for Japan?

I think an LF-2 (with some needed improvements) would have been a better idea.
Aside from that, pricing is too optimistic.

DMC-CM-20, removes screen and adds slogan "It's all about the lens."

Bad move Panasonic !

WTF? I have the CM1 (Amazon UK were doing a few daily deals for £399) and I like it, but without it being a phone too, why? Save some licensing costs? Not going to make it sell better.

And I was totally waiting for the CM2 to clean up a few of the major issues (modern Android; ideally, Google-backed, and having some way to make it pocketable without scratching the lens.

Seems like Panasonic is moving in a different direction.

There's a fine line between genius and stupid. I'm not sure which side of the line this fits.

I'm all for making it easier to share photos from 'real' cameras. But I cant help but think Panny would be better off improving their wifi connectivity with other peoples phone. I have an LX100 and while it's connected abilities are impressive (image transfer, remote control etc) it is PAINFUL to get it connected in the first place.

The CM10 is thin but not, overall, tiny. I can't imagine this latest version will sell any better than the first. Surely, the TZ100 makes far more sense at this price level.

Why?

Younger generations use the phone function less & less. Most important is to have (LTE) data, with which you can do everything: messaging, calling, video calling, etc.
Hence this device makes sense and is most apparently not aimed to the average readership of this website...

Think of it as an Android equivalent of an iPod Touch, with a quality camera ... or as a quality camera with iPod touch-like capabilities.

I don't see what all the complaining is about. The one thing I have liked about my phone is it's small, it can fit in my pocket (or phone case on my belt) and it goes everywhere with me. This CM10 is a capable camera/video that is exactly the same, only it won't make calls.
It is finally the "small capable camera" people have been waiting for, without having to use their phone. I would bet it's cheaper than the CM1 as well as it's not actually a phone.

That's typical. It's two steps forward and one step backward. This time it is pure backward and nothing else. Thank you.

No phone functionality? What the %$#@&*.

I own the CM1 and it is an outstanding camera, but it is also MY PHONE, and I use it as my phone exclusively.

The advantage of the CM1 (apparantly not the CM10), is that I can carry a very capable and pocketable camera and smartphone in a single unit.

Sorry Panasonic, I do not get it. Why remove the phone capabilities, when one still needs a SIM card for 'other' connectivity?

Am I missing something here?

Relax people. This model was not meant for the market most of us are in. Just the get CM1 with the phone feature.

I think a 7" tablet with a good lens makes more sense....since they don't want to have the phone function they should use the tablet function better...

without the phone support .. what the #($)*&#$ is the point of it?

Geez, what happened with Panasonic? The CM1 had such potential.

crippled camera, crippled phone, has lte. makes no sense. android 5.0 lol

$850 for 1" sensor inside a phone body with no real mechanical controls sounds a bit too much.

Original DMC-CM1 is under $600 now