Freetel continues Japan's support of Windows 10 Mobile with Katana

Katana 02

If there's one country that seems to be getting right behind Windows 10 Mobile when it comes to new phones, it's Japan.

We've seen devices from the likes of Mouse Computer already, not to mention the Vaio Phone Biz, but at Mobile World Congress we stumbled across a couple more headed to the Land of the Rising Sun.

Carrier and phone maker, Freetel, has the Katana 01 and Katana 02, a pair of Windows 10 Mobile devices that its offering to its customers.

Neither are what you'd describe as high-end, but the continued Japanese support of the platform is encouraging.

The Katana 02 is the higher spec offering of the two, with a 5-inch 720p display, quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage. Round the back there's an 8MP camera with a 2MP up front for selfies, all powered by a 2600mAh battery.

It's all plastic, but on the back there's a brushed texture finish, with a chrome effect side trim. It's pretty unassuming looking round the front, with nothing but a black rectangle staring back at you.

The smaller, lower-spec model is the Katana 01, which has a soft touch finish on the back. It's very much an entry level phone, with a 4.5-inch 480x854 resolution display, quad-core processor, 8GB of storage and 1GB of RAM.

Battery is 1700mAh and there's a 5MP camera on the back. But ultimately it's a way into the ecosystem for customers of Freetel in Japan.

And that's the bigger takeaway here. It goes to show that in corners of the world we may sometimes ignore, there's still support for new Windows 10 Mobile products. Limited markets, sure, but they're still happening.

And that makes for good news.

Richard Devine
Managing Editor - Tech, Reviews

Richard Devine is a Managing Editor at Windows Central with over a decade of experience. A former Project Manager and long-term tech addict, he joined Mobile Nations in 2011 and has been found on Android Central and iMore as well as Windows Central. Currently, you'll find him steering the site's coverage of all manner of PC hardware and reviews. Find him on Mastodon at mstdn.social/@richdevine