By Qadri Inzamam

New Delhi, Jul 17 (IANS): It is quite challenging for a Japanese smartphone manufacturer to sustain in a market where Chinese brands have a definitive edge, especially in the sub-Rs 10,000 category.

In its bid to chart a fresh course, Panasonic on Monday launched 'P55 Max' at Rs 8,499. The device has a striking resemblance to its predecessor 'P55 Novo' that was launched in the summer of 2015.

Here is what works for the device.

Encased in a metallic cover, the device sports 5.5-inch HD display with 2.5D curved display. The back cover is smooth and glossy.

The volume and power keys are placed at the left edge. A micro-USB charger port and a jack is placed on the top edge while a single speaker grill has been fitted on the bottom edge.

On the front, a receiver and breathing light are placed close together while a selfie-shooter has been pushed to the right top corner. The overall look of the device is decent.

The device houses a massive 5,000mAh removable battery and a dual-SIM tray.

It The device sports a 13MP rear camera with Quad LED flash for excellent low-light photography.

The smartphone is powered by 1.25GHz Quad-core processor coupled with 3GB RAM and 16GB internal storage that can be extended up to 128GB. It runs on the latest Android Nougat 7.0 operating system.

If you are using only few apps on the device at a time, it will work fine. But too much load may result in the device being a bit sluggish.

The 5,000mAh battery is the real strength. It can last for more than a day on a normal use of the device.

What does not work?

Owing to the removable battery and its thickness, the device might appear a bit bulky. There is no fingerprint sensor either.

The 5MP front camera makes the photos appear a bit dull but with an in-built flash, the images do get somwehat better.

Conclusion: At this price, we had expected more in order to give fight to nearest competitors like Xiaomi Redmi 4 or Lenovo K6 Power. Still, go for its huge battery and attractive price.