Panasonic will be releasing its first mobile handset this quarter, christened the Lumix, after its line of cameras. The obvious reference to their line of cameras is a dead giveaway to this phone’s selling point, the 13 Megapixel camera. Featuring a mobile version of Panasonic’s VenusEngine image chip, it seems to be aimed directly as a competitor to Nokia’s N8.

To be unveiled on the 5th of October, at CEATEC 2010 Tokyo, the phone has one major catch — it is unlikely to be sold outside Japan. Nothing has been confirmed by Panasonic, though that should not be a deterrent to those wanting to get their hands on the phone that has, undoubtedly, one of the highest MP rating cameras available on modern cell phones. Other standard features include Wi-Fi though nothing has been mentioned about video recording capability.

Panasonic Lumix Phone Features

• 13.2-megapixel CMOS sensor
• ‘Mobile VenusEngine’ for high definition images
• 3.3-inch VGA LCD
• Approximately 4.5 inches by 2 inches by less than an inch/5 ounces
• Wi-Fi capability
• microSDHC card support (sold separately)
• DLNA support

Panasonic is trying to fuel hype about what exactly the phone will feature, by launching a dedicated site, but keeping details to a minimum. The weight of the phone is on the higher side, though that’s the trade off for the camera. The company have also been quiet about the phone’s form factor and how it will resemble the Lumix digital camera range. There is a lot of speculation pointing towards a clam shell design though we can only wait till the 5th of October when Panasonic unveil the device.