Unveiling Sony Ericsson Aino Specs Prices Pros & Cons

Overview of Sony Ericsson Aino

The Sony Ericsson Aino, announced in May 2009 and released in October of the same year, was one of the most versatile feature phones of its time. It was designed with a sleek aesthetic and packed with features that catered to users who wanted both a phone for basic communication and advanced multimedia capabilities.

Design and Build

The Sony Ericsson Aino measures 104 x 50 x 15.5 mm and weighs 134 g, making it a compact and easily portable device. It features a modern design with dimensions optimal for holding and use. Offered in Obsidian Black and Luminous White colors, the Aino was a stylish-looking phone that appealed to a wide demographic. The inclusion of a Mini-SIM slot and a removable Li-Po 1000 mAh battery reflected the common design elements of phones in that era.

Display

The phone is equipped with a 3.0-inch TFT display, providing a resolution of 240 x 432 pixels (~165 ppi density). This screen size was considered large at the time, making it well-suited for media consumption. With roughly 47.4% screen-to-body ratio, the Aino offered a fair balance between screen size and device handling.

Camera

The Aino was notable for its 8.1 MP rear camera, which includes auto-focus and LED flash features. This camera configuration allowed users to capture sharp photographs and supported video recording at 480p@30fps. The high resolution of the camera was meant to deliver quality photos, which was a significant selling point during its release.

Performance and Storage

Although categorized as a feature phone, the Aino tried to mimic some functionalities of smartphones. It comes with 55MB of internal storage, which was modest but typical for the period. For users requiring more space, the device supported microSDHC cards with an included 8 GB card, providing ample additional storage for media and applications.

Network and Connectivity

The Aino supported GSM and HSPA technology, with a range of 2G and 3G bands for global connectivity. For wireless communication, it features Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP and Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g along with DLNA, enabling users to stream media content efficiently. Its USB 2.0 provides the standard wired connectivity options.

Additional Features

In addition to its core functionalities, the Aino comes equipped with an accelerometer that allows motion-based gaming. It also facilitates messaging through SMS, MMS, and email with a threaded view for SMS. The browser support includes WAP 2.0/HTML via NetFront 3.5, and users can keep up with updates through the built-in RSS reader.

Music lovers benefited from a built-in stereo FM radio with RDS and quality loudspeakers, albeit lacking a 3.5mm headphone jack, which prompted users to rely on the proprietary headphone solution.

Battery Life

The Aino's 1000 mAh battery provided a reasonable standby time of up to 380 hours on 2G networks and up to 367 hours on 3G. The talk time stretched to 13 hours on 2G and slightly shorter on 3G, which was more than adequate for typical daily use. For entertainment, the phone supported up to 31 hours of music playtime, making it a handy device for long commutes or travel.

Pricing

The launch price was approximately 120 EUR, positioning it as an affordable high-functionality phone at the time. This pricing made it accessible to a wide range of consumers, from tech enthusiasts to casual users seeking a reliable, feature-rich phone.

Conclusion

Overall, the Sony Ericsson Aino stood out in its era as a multifaceted feature phone bridging the gap between basic phones and more sophisticated smartphones. Despite being a discontinued model now, during its peak, it showcased a remarkably forward-thinking approach in mobile phone design, combining style, functionality, and advanced multimedia features.