Register Hardware

Original URL: http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/10/02/serenata_samsung_bang_and_olufsen/

Mobile phone meets designer stereo

By James Sherwood
Published Tuesday 2nd October 2007 09:25 GMT

Given the current trend of manufacturers creating phones with designer clothing companies, it's nice to see another joint offering Samsung and Bang & Olufsen - another consumer electronics company. Still, the device looks more like an inverted iPod than a phone.

Serenata_handset
B&O's Serenata: upper-class

The Serenata is operated via a scroll-wheel and an iPhone-style on-screen keyboard. However, audio performance is the handset's main selling point - it has an integrated loudspeaker that B&O claimed delivers distortion-free sound. The phone also connects to a pair of headphones and comes with a charger cradle that enables it to be hooked up to a stereo.

The Serenata handles most standard audio formats, including MP3, WMA and some lossless audio formats. Some folk argue that lossless audio provides better music quality because the file's not compressed to the level that, say, MP3s are. However, lossless files tend to have a larger capacity, so it's nice to see that the phone has a 4GB internal memory.

Samsung has added HSDPA 3G connectivity, in addition to tri-band GSM and Bluetooth. The phone has a 2.2in LCD display, with a 240 x 240 resolution, but lacks a camera, so you won't be using this handset to snap friends or make video calls. It also has a USB 2.0 connection and a three-hour talk time.

B&O will be selling the phone through its retail stores from next month, with a price tag of around £1000 (€1250/$2000). Samsung hasn't announced if it will be selling the phone too, or which networks it will be available with.