Panasonic Has Reinvented The Camera Phone

There's no question that the iPhone and slew of Android alternatives (Samsung, HTC, LG...) have solid cameras. With strong processors and expensive sensors, these phones out-perform many purpose-built digital cameras released only a few years ago, and thanks to them no one's really buying point and shoots anymore. Why would you, when you already have a great one in your pocket? 

Two years ago, Nokia, attempting to reach those consumers who pined for a camera phone with serious chops, released its impressive 41-megapixel Lumia 1010 that ran on Windows Mobile and gave users full manual control. But now, Panasonic has stepped into the ring with its venerable Lumix line, debuting the new Android smartphone with one hell of a camera—meet the Panasonic Lumix DMC-CM1. 

Its 1-inch, 20-megapixel sensor is much, much bigger than your iPhone 6's and the Nokia Lumia 1020's—plus, it sits behind Leica optics. The device shoots in RAW if you want it to, and has the ability to capture 4K video. Besides its awesome specs as a camera, it functions as a slim, normal phone when it's in your pocket, giving you fast LTE and the same size screen as an iPhone 5S. It's clearly erring on the camera side of things, but when it drops in the States it'll look like a must-have for the on-the-go photographer.

Ethan Wolff-Mann is an editor at Supercompressor. His current phone is cracked, but still takes pictures. Follow him on Instagram to see them.