Sony Ericsson’s advertising of the semi-touch Aino focuses solely on the phone’s multimedia capacity and, after using the phone for a matter of minutes, it’s easy to see why; the Aino is close to multimedia perfection. However as an actual phone the Aino slips into mediocrity especially in comparison to similarly priced rivals.

Sony Ericsson is known for producing great camera mobiles with even better music features. In the Aino the two are combined, and easily accessed through the 3-inch touchscreen which comes alive when the alphanumeric keypad is closed.

We found no point to the capacitive touchscreen at all, especially when you consider that the full touchscreen flagship Satio features a less-than responsive resistive display.

The display is reserved for triggering the multimedia functions, and the 8.1-megapixel camera can be activated quickly by tapping the first camera icon. It's perfectly simple to operate using simple touches, such as zooming, using the hardware volume buttons on the side.

Pictures appear in high quality colour on the large screen and can be distributed with social networking tools such as Flickr onboard. While lacking the camera effects other phones offer (such as sepia imagery) the snapper comes with almost all other extras you'd think of, ranging from LED flash to face detection.

Next up on the touch menu are the music and film features. The Aino comes with the ability to switch media files to and from your computer via Wi-Fi or the mobile’s Media Go technology. When using the Sony Ericsson Aino with its desk based charger included in the box, the phone and computer will often be in contact.

Media Go makes this contact simple to handle, using drag and drop between computer and phone. A file converter is also included to prevent the hassle of having incompatible songs or films.

Music quality is strong, whether using the Aino’s speakers or headphones. Songs are presented within a stylish interface, which comes in a variety or colours. The only significant drawback is the absence of a 3.5mm headphone jack, forcing the annoyance of using specialist Sony Ericsson earphones on the user. The multimedia touch screen also offers a similarly stylish and simple radio feature.

Playstation 3 fanatics out there should know the phone comes with a remote play feature, similar to that seen on the PSP allowing for interaction with anything stored on your PS3, including . The Aino is far from a gaming mobile but Sony Ericsson is certainly shaping the technology needed to create such a device.

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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