Sony Ericsson Aino preview

The Aino is at the forefront of Sony Ericsson’s idea that the Swedish manufacturer's phones are ‘entertainment experiences’ rather than merely phones. It comes with the EC1000 charging stand, which it sits in rather happily. The Aino also comes bundled with a wireless Bluetooth headset and a boatload of promises regarding the entertainment experience and device integration.

The 3-inch touchscreen felt intuitive and easy to use when we got our hands on the Aino– scrolling left and right to cycle through sections, while vertical strokes then navigate downwards within that section. The interface also includes several menus that ape the grid-like layout of the iPhone. The Aino also includes a slide-out keypad, for those who aren’t too keen on using a touchscreen all the time.

Integration with Facebook, Google and YouTube is built into the device, while Sony Ericsson hinted that Twitter and several other social networking sites are on its roadmap for several of the new models. An 8.1-megapixel camera with 16x digital zoom is joined by GPRS and WiFi connectivity. An 8GB microSD card is included, providing a decent amount of storage.

Plug the Aino into its docking station and, in theory, the machine can hook up with a computer running Sony’s Media Go software, synchronising your files over WiFi automatically. We’re also promised that the Aino can be used with PS3’s Remote Play feature, which was first introduced for the PSP last year, enabling owners of both machines to connect them together, sharing and using media wherever there’s a WiFi connection.

However, the demonstration we saw last night didn’t exactly go smoothly – the Aino and PS3 couldn’t get it together, despite being mere feet apart - but, if Sony can iron out these bugs before launch, you’ll be able to view any of your PS3’s media content on your Aino wherever you can get a decent web connection.

Preview adapted from a preview by Mike Jennings at PC PRO