Sony Ericsson Yari

Editor's Review of the Yari

Equally head-turning in either cranberry white or achromatic black casing, the Sony Ericsson Yari is a compact handset that weighs 115 grams inclusive of its fitted battery. It also has the full measurements 100 x 48 x 15.7 millimetres. It is part of Sony Ericsson's range of 3G slide-opening handsets that include the Sony Ericsson Aino. Through its TFT QVGA screen that measures 60.96 millimetres, the Sony Ericsson Yari displays animated and picture wallpapers on 262,000 vibrant colours over 240 x 320 resolution. For a more customised appeal, users may assign call, text and other alerts using the wide selection of ringtones in MP3 and ACC formats.

Being a quad band handset, this mobile phone works on GSM 850, GSM 900, GSM 1800, GSM 1900, UMTS 900 and UMTS 2100. It is also complete with the Flight Mode option that makes it a good roaming companion for frequently traveling users. However, its network reach may depend on its service provider.

This handset also allows users to gain access to the World Wide Web with its pre-installed Internet browser. Its connectivity options include microUSB support used to transfer files from or to Sony Ericsson Yari with compatible devices such as other handsets, personal computers, laptops, scanners or printers. For utmost ease in data sharing, this handset also comes with the wireless Bluetooth facility. Equipped with EDGE technology, this mobile phone offers enhanced rates of data transmissions. Moreover, its 3G HSDPA capability guarantees multi-tasking efficiency.

The messaging services offered by this handy communication device include SMS or text with Predictive Text Input system and MMS or multimedia messaging. It also allows users to access their email messages, or send emails to their contacts. Moreover, this handset offers users the chat service through its instant messaging support.

This mobile phone has the organiser tools of phone book, calculator, tasks and notes, timer, calendar, alarm clock, stopwatch and vibration alert. It also comes with a speakerphone for ease in call transactions. An onboard GPS navigation system that supports Google Maps assists users as they navigate through unfamiliar locations. In addition, this handset is a handy companion for fitness-focused users with its Walk Mate facility that works as a step counter.

As part of its entertainment-focused facilities, the Sony Ericsson Yari offers an integrated 5-Megapixel camera with 4x digital zoom and auto focus to ensure clarity and precision in every capture. It also comes with face and smile detection imaging features, as well as the Photo Fix. It also records videos complete with the video light feature, and plays or streams footages on the wide display screen. This handset also has a main camera for 3G video calls.

Music-loving users will enjoy its pre-installed music player with Album Art and TrackID facilities that display a song's title, performer and the album to which the track belongs. It also comes with stereo speakers complete with MegaBass feature that allows users to adjust music quality. It also makes Internet music downloads faster with its PlayNow option. Users may select the song they want to enjoy using the shake control feature. This handset also comes with the FM radio feature with RDS, through which users do not only enjoy music listening, but also obtain access to information relating to current events, weather or sports through their preferred radio stations.

This mobile phone is also equipped with easy-to-use gaming features with its selection of pre-installed games in Java and 3D formats. Through its motion and gesture controls on dedicated buttons, users are offered a total gaming experience.

This handset comes with 60 Megabytes of internal memory, plus microSD memory card support that boosts file storage. Users may speak with their contacts through this handset for a maximum of 10 hours. This mobile phone also has 450 standby hours when its battery is fully charged.

Unsatisfied owners point out that a major flaw of this mobile phone is its keypad design that makes text and numeric inputs difficult. On-the-go users also complain of this handset's lack of Wi-Fi support and standard 3.5-millimetre jack. On the other hand, satisfied owners take pride in the Sony Ericsson Yari for its sharp design, good battery life and highly efficient onboard camera.