Sony Ericsson Yari Preview

Introduction:

„Hey dude, would you pass me the Yeti… erm, I mean the Yori ... Jeez!, I mean the Yari”. This is only one of the consequences arising out of the Sony Ericsson´s decision to give their devices names that sound funny peculiar. The Yari (the Japanese word for a javelin) is a slider phone designed to offer multitude of new options to mobile gaming buffs. Games can be not only controlled through the standard buttons, but the accelerometer and camera as well. We´ll get to this later. Let´s fist take a look at the overall look of the device.



Design:

The previous model of the manufacturer that targets the same market segment is the F305 that is likeable in a childish and somewhat cheapish way. The Sony Ericsson Yari looks more presentable and features larger 2.4-inch screen with QVGA resolution. There are two buttons right above that are used to call up the game menu or control in-game actions. Navigational keys, send and end buttons are below the screen along with a flat keypad that takes up the lower half of the slider.



You can compare the Sony Ericsson Yari with many other phones using our Size Visualization Tool.

The microSD slot in on the right hand side along with the volume rocker and camera shutter, while the only thing on the opposite is the charger port. The back side houses 5-megapixel camera with flash and a pair of quite large loudspeakers. 

Interface, Multimedia and Games:

Sony Ericsson offers one of the most convenient interface packs for feature cell phones and the only major difference to previous versions is the settings menu no longer appears in separate tabs, so you will have to rummage through submenus. Unlike the Sony Ericsson Aino, the themes on this device are standard and better looking. We noticed a nice, extra feature when we connected the phone to a desktop computer. It gets recognized as a mass storage device and automatically offers to install the Sony Ericsson PC Suite, so you can sync your phone even if you are not connected to the Internet or you don’t have the software CD.



The multimedia menu doesn’t feature many changes, but we are pretty pleased with the audio player and the variety of visual styles available – cassette, old record player, CD player etc. They do not deliver added functionality, but look pretty nice indeed.



The phone doesn’t lay claims to the camera-phone segment of the market, although it sports 5-megapixel, autofocus camera with flash that delivers a cool set of functions like face and smile detection, different effects, white balance, shooting presets etc.






Come to the games, this is where the phone feels different. The prototype came along with 7 preloaded titles. Two of them offer a new interactive way of controlling gameplay, namely, through the camera. Instead of pressing keys or shaking the phone, you stand in front of it and perform various actions – the video call camera recognizes and uses them in order to control the games. These are the Move-You Tennis and Move-You Fitness. Your character moves automatically in the first game (not cool) and you can only guide the strike. The second one shows you different exercises (like crouching or leaning) that you are then supposed to perform under the watchful camera eye. Naturally, you can remain seated munching cheese-burgers and waving warily at the camera so it can detect the movement. We figure it might feel way more interesting if you come to put some energy and heart in this.




Expectations:

The Yari is a typical device that belongs to the lineup Sony Ericsson is best at – midrange cell phones with pleasing interface and amusing functionality. Provided it´s offered with enough number of various games, it does have the potential to become a highly-desired phone by many teenagers. Still, we would like to see applications that allow simultaneous gaming of several people, because having fun all alone is something that you will sooner or later get fed up with.

Sony Ericsson Yari Video Preview: