Vaio finally rolled out its rumored Windows 10 phone in Japan, and it looks like the company keeps the bar high when it comes to features and design quality. The Vaio Phone Biz proves that Vaio's high-end standards in laptop building transferred into the smartphone section, as well.
With a neat mix of subtle curves and rough lines, the Vaio Phone Biz comes packed in a business-looking aluminum body that reminds one of the golden age of Nokia handsets. In comparison, Lumia flagship phones use plastic as their main material, putting the Vaio Phone Biz in a rather forward position for Windows phone enthusiasts.
Looking under the hood of the new Vaio Phone Biz, the specs are suited for a business-oriented device. The eight cores of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 617 CPU are clocked at 1.5 Ghz and processing power is backed by 3 GB of RAM. The 5.5-inch display has a top resolution of 1,080 pixels. The screen plays well with the Qualcomm Adreno 405 GPU, even if it loses a bit of brightness at sharper angles.
Keep in mind that the phone is designed with Continuum integration in mind, so streaming on a large screen takes care of the display's limitations.
On the downside, the phone sports a bottom bezel that is larger than usual. The Vaio Phone Biz features no fingerprint sensor and no USB Type-C, both of which are becoming the norm in 2016.
The Vaio Phone Biz does have a pretty good camera combo, meaning that the main snapper is a 13-megapixel sensor and the selfie camera is a 5-megapixel sensor. In terms of connectivity, the phone offers 3G, 4G LTE, Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi and more.
Software-wise, the Vaio Phone Biz uses the mobile version of Windows 10, Windows 10 Mobile. This means that Continuum support will be available, allowing users to link the phone to a smart TV or monitor and to start tapping into its PC-like functionality.
Fans of the handset can only get it in a Silver color option. The company states that the price point for the device will be about $430, and mentions that the phone will be available exclusively in Japan. Vaio will start selling the unlocked phone in April, but it will team up with Japanese carrier NTT Docomo for applications and network support.
We must admit that Vaio takes a strong leap of faith with its latest smartphone.
According to its own earnings release, Microsoft saw a whopping decline of Windows phone sales of 49 percent. As most OEMs tend to favor Android builds, Microsoft is having a hard time finding partners who want to implement its ecosystem into their phones. This makes Vaio's idea to roll out a Windows 10 Mobile handset in Japan quite daring.
Last year, Vaio unveiled another smartphone, the Vaio Phone, which ran on Android. We already knew the company was planning to release a Windows 10 smartphone this year, and it's finally official.
However, American techies who have a Vaio laptop and would like to get a matching phone will have to wait. The OEM did not specify when or if the Phone Biz will be available to U.S. clients, or other markets outside Japan. What is certain is that Microsoft's flagships could face some serious competition from the sleek Vaio Phone Biz.
