The Sony Ericsson Jalou is another one of those fashion phones that Sony Ericsson has been in the habit of producing. Aimed squarely at the female demographic, it packs both a unique diminutive size and a highly-original (albeit, debatably attractive) looks.
Physically, the clamshell phone’s shape is supposed to resemble a gem, with a polished surface and shapely cut lines. Naturally, it’s a veritable magnet for smudges and fingerprints. It comes with two display panels – a 1.3-inch LCD in the front and a 2-inch QVGA LCD inside. Both displays are clear and bright, while the overall device sports a really solid build.
As a phone, it manages good voice calls, although adjusting the volume while you’ve got it placed next to your ear is very difficult because of the size. Battery, which is rated at 7 hours, is surprisingly good.
Like many fashion phones, the Jalou is primarily about its looks. However, it does come with some advanced features, like 3G, HTML browsing, an accelerometer and a good set of apps (including Facebook, YouTube and an onboard pedometer). It features Sony Ericsson’s usual media features, like TrackID, PlayNow and several basic media editing tools.
The 3.2 megapixel camera offers a good set of options, along with average quality stills (no flash, though). A novelty mirror function, which lets you use the LCD as a mirror, actually works. Other handset details include stereo Bluetooth and microSDHC expansion.
Overall, the Sony Ericsson Jalou makes for a sexy, little phone. The ridiculously small size makes it near-impossible for full-sized men to use (let’s see you open that clamshell with your large fingers), but should work very well for majority of female users. Priced at around $320 unlocked (depending on where you buy), it’s a good choice if you’re into a stylish, though not necessarily powerful, device.