It’s undeniable that mobile phones have grown and changed considerably since their inception a seemingly infinite measure of time ago. Once held as mere portable versions of the standard rotary or touch-tone phone, able to make voice calls from the road, the mobile phone has been reinvented time and again to serve as a sender and receiver of text messages, then a sender and receiver of ASCII-type “picture” messages; the mobile phone was even given a simplistic low-res camera with which to take and send grainy photographs. Now, of course, the cameras are better and the images sharper, and the storage capacity and sending capability are light-years beyond anything that was previously imagined. Even other types of media, such as ringtones and music tracks, are now easily within reach with almost any modern mobile phone unit, and video games are but an app store connection away for smartphone-bearing mobile users.
The Sony Aino is a stylish new slider phone with the ability to offer most, if not all, these features capably. With a good variety of multimedia features that run well on its sizeable display, as well as a powerful and compact 8.1 megapixel camera and great texting layout, the Aino packs 3G, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity and a solid touchscreen. Call quality can give you mixed results, however – while making calls is generally not a difficult task, reception can be spotty and calls received can be unclear or muffled at times, although your mileage may vary. Battery life is also advertised at 13 hours talk time and 15.8 days standby, but actual occasional use tends to drain the battery within a day [multimedia use leaves even less].
The eye-catching display is fairly big at three inches diagonally, and looks stunning, whether displaying pictures or videos with its support for 16.7 million colors and noteworthy 432×240 pixel resolution. It works well as a touch screen, although this functionality is only enabled for the phone’s 3D media browser when the phone is closed. Media browsing enables you to access the photo gallery, video and music players, FM radio, and the 8.1-megapixel camera, which takes photos in five resolutions with self-timer, LED flash, auto-focus, macro focus, and geo-tagging features. Face-detection simplifies the picture-taking experience even further, and several editing modes help sharpen images and remove red-eye.
The multimedia-friendly Aino also features Remote Play, formerly exclusive to the Sony PSP, which enables you to control and view content on your Sony Playstation 3. Other features include microSD card support, PC sync support via the desk stand charger, and a Bluetooth headset with a multifunctional dongle that supports 3.5mm headphones and has controls for talk, volume, and music track selection. The media player supports a variety of file formats, including MP4, AAC, MP4, 3GP, ASF, WMV and Real Video, and has an enjoyable, uniquely-designed interface with clever art icons for even the varied equalizer settings.
Of course, the phone is also capable of text and multimedia messaging, with a very user-friendly button layout that lends itself well to texting. Basic features such as the calculator and calendar applications, alarm clock, and built-in flashlight are added to by higher-tech options including voice recording, instant messaging support, a file managing app, POP3/IMAP4 email support, and Wi-Fi and GPS support. Ultimately, while held back by some undeniable shortcomings, the Aino is a solid multimedia handset and a good-looking alternative to the iPhone.
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