Sony has announced that it will start taking pre-orders for the first SIM-free handset, the Sony Xperia J1, in Japan from March 27. Recently unveiled, the device is a mid-range to premium unlocked smartphone with specs similar to that of the Xperia A2 for NTT DoCoMo.

Christian Today reports that the Sony Xperia J1 sports a 4.3-inch 720p liquid crystal display and is powered by a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor clocked at 2.2GHz. In addition, the upcoming handset is equipped with an Adreno 330 graphics and an 2 GB of RAM. The internal storage capacity of the Sony Xperia J1 is 16 GB, which is expandable. As far as the device's camera department is concerned, users can avail a load of its 20.7-megapixel Exmor RS primary rear-facing camera as well as a 2.2-megapixel selfie shooter.

The device comes in a curved aluminum frame and a matted plastic body, giving users a comfortable grip. The device will come in a white and champagne color combination, making it look rather fresh and refined

The upcoming Sony SIM-free device packs a 2300 mAh non-removable battery, which is capable of handling 81 hours of music playback. According to the Japanese tech giant, once charged, the battery of the device can be used for up to two days. The device runs Android 4.4 KitKat. In terms of connectivity, Sony Xperia J1 offers 4G LTE, GPS/ A-GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0 and NFC.

Similar to all other Sony smartphones, the Sony Xperia J1 is also hard-wearing. The latest handset is certified with IP58, which makes it dust and water resistant.

At launch, the Sony Xperia J1 will come with a 55,000 yen ($455) price tag. Customers are able to place pre-orders for the device from the Sony online store from March 27. It is expected that Sony would start shipping the units by April 20 - the same day when the device will be launched officially.