Sony Ericsson Aino - Thoroughly

We have discussed the Sony Ericsson Satio (the company's new flagship) and Sony Ericsson Yari (a mid-range mobile with a special focus on music and games). Between the two phones is the Sony Ericsson Aino , a mobile with a 3-inch touch screen, 8.1 megapixel camera, HSDPA and Wi-Fi .

The Aino is the first Japanese phone to incorporate Remote Play technology that was originally designed for the PSP . Remote Play allows you to connect the phone directly to the PS3 and play any multimedia content that we have there . Furthermore, in conjunction with the Freeview PlayTV tuner for PS3 , the Aino is capable of recording TV shows directly. Let's see what are all the features of this mobile with connection to the PS3.

At first glance, Aino looks like something of a cross between a slide-out keyboard phone and a high-end touchscreen. The terminal measures 104 x 50 x 15.5 mm and weighs 134 grams. With the phone closed, the only thing visible is the screen , which is completely tactile and measures 3 inches with a resolution of 240 × 432 . On the sides, only the volume controls and the camera's shutter are visible. You have to unfold the keyboard down to find the rest of the controls along with a multidirectional pad and several menu buttons . For this phone, Sony wanted the interface to be practically duplicated. In other words, if we like touchscreens we can operate the terminal without opening the keyboard or, if you prefer, we can maneuver quietly on a physical keyboard , though not QWERTY .

Connections

The Sony Ericsson Aino is a high-end phone and, as such, it includes the full range of available connections, from GSM to HSDPA, it also brings Wi-Fi 802.11 b / g DLNA, Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP and A-GPS for navigation. . Interestingly, and as we are going to see, the most important connections for this phone are the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth links because they will probably be the ones that we will use the most if we have a Playstation 3 or a PC at home.

Hand in hand with the PS3

The reason is that Aino has been designed as a massive media player and what better way to get content than to make it easy to access the PS3 . The phone incorporates a technology called Remote Play that was originally created for the PSP. Remote Play allows access via Wi-Fi to PS3 and copy or reproduce any multimedia content you have there like photos, music or videos . You cannot, yes, play optical discs like DVD or Blu-Ray . Remote Play allows you to browse the Internet by connecting the PS3(which does include flash support) and access television if we have the DTT PlayTV tuner . There are even some games compatible with this system, although they are very few and it is not clear what compatibility they will have with the Aino , which lacks specific controls for video games. Obviously, the process is back and forth and we can also turn on the PS3 when we get home (from Aino itself ) and download the photos or videos that we have taken with the mobile on the console disc.

Synchronization support

Regarding its connection with PC , Aino brings a charging support that also allows us to synchronize the multimedia contents we want through the Mediahome software . Something very practical to, for example, get home, put the phone to charge and let it copy the last chapter of the series that we are watching at that moment. The compatibility of the Ainu with video is not universal but reaches to MPEG4 , which is not bad. The charging stand also allows you to charge the batteries of the wireless hands-free headphones . Both accessories (stand and headset) come in the original packaging of the phone .

Image and sound

In the rest of the multimedia sections, Aino has his proposal. The integrated camera is an 8.1 megapixel camera with autofocus, image stabilizer, 12x digital zoom, face and smile detection, geolocation and a long list of extras . As a music player , Aino integrates some of the Sony technologies that became famous in its Walkman mobiles such as Clearbass, Clearstereo or Sensme, to make playlists according to our mood. The terminal has 55Mb of internal memory (a pittance) but houses a port for MicroSD cards up to 16Gb. The package actually comes with an 8Gb gift card .

Batteries

The autonomy of the Aino varies quite dramatically depending on whether we use the GSM network (13 hours in conversation and 380 in standby) or UMTS (4.5 hours in conversation and 367 in standby). These figures will also be affected if we watch video or use the Wi-Fi link . The Aino will go on sale in the fall and its price is not yet known or which operators will decide to host it in their "loving" pricing plans.

The best

The Aino has surprised us with its performance and its connection capacity. If you have a PS3 and use it frequently, you may want to use its compatibility . Details such as that the charging station, the 8GB card or the wireless headphones are included have their point (especially when with other mobiles they hardly give you the time).

It can improve

Battery life may be shorter than Sony claims. But the most relevant thing is that, as in all Sony terminals , the audio input is not the universal 3.5 mm jack , which prevents you from connecting standard headphones . This is a constant in these Sony equipment . They propose their own formats and supports that no one supports . If in the past the Japanese firm was among the elite of those who set standards, now , by sales and position in the market, it has become part of the chorus.They should realize that this policy of lack of compatibility with market standards can make them even more of a minority.

Data sheet