14 DAY TRIAL // One of the OEMs that agreed to launch Windows Phone handsets this year without paying Microsoft any licensing fees for the operating system, Yezz, is now selling one of its products in the United States.
Dubbed Yezz Billy 4.7, the smartphone that was initially launched in July has finally made it to United States under Microsoft’s umbrella.
Beginning this week, Windows Phone fans or customers who want to switch to this mobile platform will be able to purchase the affordable Yezz Billy 4.7 via Microsoft Store for just $200 (€160) outright.
Considering its low price, potential customers shouldn’t expect any high-end specs, but given Windows Phone’s level of optimization, Yezz Billy 4.7 won’t have any issues in running any apps or services as well as other more powerful Windows Phone handsets.
This is one of the few Windows Phone handsets not produced by Microsoft but that go on sale through its official store in the United States. A few BLU-branded devices are available for purchase via Microsoft Store as well, but they are cheaper.
Moving on to specs, those interested in getting this budget-friendly smartphone will be pleased to know that the Billy 4.7 comes with 1GB of RAM, which means it will be able to run just about any apps or games available in Windows Phone Store.
Only the dual-SIM version of Yezz Billy 4.7 is available in the US
As the name suggests, the smartphone sports a 4.7-inch capacitive touchscreen display that supports HD (720p) resolution. Yezz Billy 4.7’s display also comes with Dragon Trail Glass coating for extra protection against scratches and accidental drops.
On the inside, the device is fitted with a 1.2GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 processor, 1GB of RAM, and Adreno 302 graphics processing unit. Although Billy 4.7 packs only 8GB of internal memory, users can further expand storage up to 128GB via microSD card slot.
On the back, Yezz Billy 4.7 features an enhanced 8-megapixel photo snapper with autofocus, LED flash, and HD (720p) video recording, while in the front there’s a secondary 2-megapixel camera for selfies and video calls.
When it comes to connectivity, Yezz’s device offers a variety of options, including HSPA+ (42Mbps), Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, microUSB 2.0, and GPS with A-GPS. There’s no NFC (Near Field Communication) inside the Billy 4.7.
It’s also worth mentioning that the handset comes with Windows Phone 8.1 out of the box and it’s powered by a 1780 mAh battery, which is rated by the manufacturer for up to 480 hours of standby time (350 hours in 3G mode) or up to 16 hours of talk time (7.5 hours in 3G mode).
