Sony Ericsson Aino
After dozens of rumours, and no end of speculation it’s pretty much common knowledge that within the next few months Sony Ericsson’s launching two multimedia phones. So we’ve already talked about the Satio, it’s time to meet the Aino.
As with the Satio, the Sony Ericsson Aino combines two of Sony’s best features, gone are the days deciding between the cybershot and the walkman. The Aino provides the best of both worlds - an 8 megapixel camera, with everything you’d expect from a Sony Ericsson - autofocus, LED flash, geotagging, touch focus, face detection and so much more. Naturally, it boasts the latest Walkman player, offering not only a fantastic sound but great graphics as well.
Aesthetically, it’s not breaking any boundaries. Sure it’s compact and simple, giving it a rather sleek modern look. It’s what’s inside that’s the money maker. The graphics are pretty spot on, nothing less than we’ve come to expect from Sony. You may notice that the menus are similar to those on the PSP or PS3, this is no coincidence. The Aino is the first of its kind, bridging the gap between the mobile phone and the games console. The Remote Play feature is clearly its ‘piece de resistance’ allowing access, control, interaction and streaming of any content on your PS3. For those of you who are yet to be convinced, the MediaGo software could just swing it. Basically it allows you to download any multimedia content you’re hoarding on your PC via Wi-Fi straight to your mobile. Finally, if that hasn’t impressed you, there is yet another feature, this time allowing you to watch, pause and record live TV streams on your mobile.
The only problem I’ve encountered so far, is my pet hate, the 3.5mm audio jack, or rather the lack of. Considering the Sony Ericsson Aino’s supposed to be the latest multimedia phone on offer, you’d assume a simple universal jack would have been the better option. Never the less, the Aino still offers the latest technology and could well have paved the way for more ‘gamer’ phones.