Soon after launching a pair of laptops, VAIO decided to manufacture smartphones with a view to take on Sony's Xperia series. The first step in this direction is the launch of the VAIO Phone, which will be released in Japan on March 20 via small carrier b-mobile.

According to Tech Radar, the new VAIO Phone sports a 5-inch display with a 720p resolution and is powered by an unnamed 1.2GHz processor with 2GB of RAM. In terms of storage, the new smartphone will have 16GB on board alongside a 64GB microSD support and a 2,500mAh battery on board.

A report by Latin Post says the VAIO Phone will be running with Android 5.0 operating system with VAIO's own UI on top. In addition, the smartphone boasts a 13-megapixel primary rear camera and a 5-megapixel selfie camera.

As far as the design of the handset is concerned, the VAIO Phone comes with a plastic body with curved sides and a flat polished back panel. VAIO claims that the design is "simple and stylish," but it seems to have an average attractive look.

The manufacturers are selling the unlocked VAIO Phone in Japan for around $420 (51,000 yen). The handset is also available with unlimited data through contract for approximately $33 (4,000 yen) per month.

Latin Post reports that the investment fund Japan Industrial Partners, who acquired VAIO from Sony in early 2014, has said that the company's laptops are unlikely to be sold outside Japan ever. Even the fate of the VAIO Phone appears to be similar.

Interestingly, Panasonic's Eluga U2 that was launched February in Taiwan, is almost identical to the VAIO Phone. Panasonic's smartphone also comes with similar specs and design, barring the fact that it has a 1080p resolution screen. Eluga U2 has been priced much less than the VAIO Phone.