Sony Ericsson Yari – is it any good?

Gesture-controlled gaming is the hallmark of the Yari, the latest of the Sony Ericsson mobile phones.

Pros

Much like the Wii gaming system, the Yari features gesture-controlled gaming.  This is a unique innovation uncommon to most new mobile phones.  Some games require the user to move the entire handset, while others let users prop the phone and use their hands to move the characters.  The gesture controls are not always practical – try using this mode in a crowded pub while waiting for a friend, for instance – but they’re definitely good fun.

There’s a built-in GPS, a 5 megapixel camera with good picture quality, simple photo sharing capabilities, and a chic, stylish outer casing.

Cons

The Yari has a lot of buttons.  It’s very easy to fumble with the keys or accidentally press the wrong button.  There is a learning curve, as with most new mobile phones, but initially it feels very user unfriendly.

Music playback is underwhelming, though the music player itself is quick and easy to launch.  As with many Sony Ericsson mobile phones, there isn’t a 3.5 mm headphone jack.

Intensive apps like games load painfully slowly, and customisation is limited.  Web navigation is badly pixellated, making pages appear outdated despite the Yari’s 3G speed.  There is no Wi-Fi connectivity – a glaring omission.

Conclusion

The Yari is a pleasant mobile phone with great gaming capabilities.  The overly complex button layout and proprietary headphone jack do little to stand in the way of basic phone and messaging functions.