It’s not the PSP phone, but it’s close. Sony Ericsson yesterday unveiled three new mobile phones including Aino, a cell phone that can sync with both your PlayStation 3 and PC. Aino also features an 8.1-megapixel camera with geotagging capability; 3G, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity; a physical keypad; and a three-inch touchscreen.
Pull From PS3
Using the Remote Play feature designed for the PSP, Aino can pull almost any content off your PS3, including music, videos, and photos. What about games, you ask? Sorry, HD video and games are not syncable, but like I said, this is not the fabled PSP phone that first hit the rumor mill in 2007; Aino is just a phone that happens to talk to your PS3.
The upside is you can use the Remote Play feature to pull files from your PS3 wherever you are in the world. Sony Ericsson didn’t specify whether Remote Play will work over a 3G connection. Aino will also sync with the media files on your PC via Sony Ericsson’s proprietary Media Go multimedia manager. Just drop your Aino into its charging stand and Media Go takes care of the rest via Wi-Fi. Aino users in Italy, France, Spain, Germany, and the U.K. will also be able to take advantage of the PS3’s TV place-shifting and DVR feature PlayTV. Sony first unveiled PlayTV in 2007, but the feature has not yet come to North American PS3 models. PlayTV lets you use your PSP or Aino to remotely watch recorded and live television over the Internet via your PS3.
Out of the box, Aino comes with a charging stand, wireless stereo headphones, and an 8GB SD card — Aino is not compatible with Sony Memory Sticks. Aino will come in black and white, and be available in select markets this fall. Sony Ericsson did not specify when or if Aino will be coming to North America, but I’d say its arrival here is a pretty safe bet.
Other New Phones
Alongside Aino, Sony Ericsson also announced two other phones: Satio and Yari. Satio is the ultimate camera phone, including a 12.1-megapixel camera, a 3.5-inch widescreen touch display; and running the Symbian OS. Satio previously debuted as Idou at this year’s Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. Sony Ericsson’s Yari packs a respectable 5-megapixel camera, but is designed for the gamer with a built-in accelerometer for iPhone-style gesture and motion gaming. Satio and Yari will be available this fall; U.S. release dates were not announced.
In addition to announcing three new phones, Sony Ericsson said it will release details about its own application store during next week’s JavaOne conference in San Francisco.
