Sony's previous laptop arm, VAIO, is reportedly releasing an Android-based smartphone at the 2015 Consumer Electronics Show. Sony pulled out of the PC market after it sold a majority of its shares, but a group of investors running the show for VAIO is reviving the line by expanding the business and jumping head-on in the smartphone market. 

According to Nikkei Asian Review, VAIO is working with Japan Communications and together, they developed a smartphone with a 5-inch screen display. The details about the smartphone are still few, but the report revealed that the handset will feature an app that can manage email as well as phone and video calls. 

The smartphone will be manufactured by third party companies, but it will be sold to the sales channels of Japan Communications as well as in electronics retailers, information system developers and e-commerce websites. The smartphone will target individuals and business professionals. 

The price of the smartphone is still undetermined, but it will most likely fall in between the prices of branded and mid-range handsets. The great news is that the handset will be unlocked so the users can use SIM cards from their preferred carriers. 

It is quite late for VAIO to enter the smartphone market that a number of mobile OEM manufacturers have already tried to penetrate. However, Vaio has the confidence that it can still capture some consumers by offering a smartphone with superior design for a reasonable price.

If rumors prove to be true, then the VAIO smartphone will pit against Sony's own offerings. Sony is set to take the wraps off the Sony Xperia Z4 alongside the Xperia Z4 Compact and Xperia Z4 Ultra next year.

The Xperia Z4 is rumored to feature a 5.4-inch quad HD Triluminos display, a Snapdragon 805 or 810 processor paired with 4 GB RAM, Android 5.0 Lollipop OS, Sony's new 21-megapixel Exmor IMX230 camera sensor and 3.2-megapixel front-facing shooter, and 3300 mAh battery.