Is it just me or does anybody else think that the Serene looks like a women's cosmetics case? I've always found the look to be aimed at female users, yet there are many people on this forum who seem to have one. Having never used it I don't know how good the functionality is, but this looks like it's more style than substance. It seems in the collaboration betweem B&O and Samsung, Samsung got more out of the deal, as they were able to put their logo on a B&O phone. I know B&O use different bits from other companies for various products, however I don't think they have displayed the other company's logo externally on the finished product, so why have they with the Serene?

Is it just me or is the Serene one of the worst products B&O have recently produced?!?! 

My wife is looking forward to me winning her one in this months prize draw. 8-)

Lol Britops, not quite the reply I was looking for, but thanks anyway. Hope you win it for her :-).

beodude:

Is it just me or does anybody else think that the Serene looks like a women's cosmetics case? I've always found the look to be aimed at female users, yet there are many people on this forum who seem to have one. Having never used it I don't know how good the functionality is, but this looks like it's more style than substance. It seems in the collaboration betweem B&O and Samsung, Samsung got more out of the deal, as they were able to put their logo on a B&O phone. I know B&O use different bits from other companies for various products, however I don't think they have displayed the other company's logo externally on the finished product, so why have they with the Serene?

Is it just me or is the Serene one of the worst products B&O have recently produced?!?! 

 

No, me also. I agree with beodude and the price is shocking.

They are very tactile and the dial is very good to use once you get used to it. Also very nice size.

But too expensive and they chickened out and put a camera on!

I think it's a nice phone, but I don't think it fits very well in a trouser pocket.
I like the less-is-more theme, as a phone like the Serene isn't targeting the same people as "normal" phones, so it doesn't need every option possible to implement in a phone, and I like the way it opens itself. But as I understand it you can't change the picture in idle mode, (correct me if I'm wrong), and I dislike that, even though the phone will normally be closed, and when you open it, it's beacuse you are going to use it.
What I don't understand about the Serene is the reason for having the Samsug name on it. I understand that B&O doesn't have the knowledge for mobile systems, but in my eyes it isn't a real B&O product, because of this.
You don't see a Jaguar with a Jaguar/Peugeot badge on it even though they use Peugeots 2.7L Diesel engine...

Regarding the price, I don't find this surprising, the Nokia 8800 costed the same when it was new. The only difference is that almost all other brand phones (and TV/hi-fi for that matter) drops in price in their lifetime, B&O does not.

Though I like the Serene, I would choose a Nokia 8800 Sirocco any day, without hesitation, as I think it's absolutely stunning.

It is just you, hehehe! It's love or hate, i am in love with this thing. It is the coolest thing i've ever had in my pocket, and it always wins jealous looks when i pull it out from my pocket. It is 100% nonsense free to use, and the sound is unbeatable - as are the ring tones. No-one can even see the logo, honestly, and i don't care if bang & olufsen name can't be seen, when i'm talking on it, everybody looks and wonders. 

No, it's really not just you. When I heard David lewis was doing a B&O mobile I had visions of a beautifully tooled, aluminium, slim, elegant tablet just for making calls and texts and what we got was a deliberately obtuse, different-for-the-sake-it mess.

Does anybody else see the resemblance ?

      

 

Lmao can't wait for Serene 2 to come out :

 

 

Your post is blank Henry - are you seeing your own serene from a different angle now? - you sure it was designed by a dude and not a woman?

I'm gay, and i love it. Who cares if it looks like a make up compact, it's elite! You don't like it, you are on the other side of the fence. Unlike other phones where everyone thinks the same about them, this is exciting for a mobile phone.

So I take it that you are looking forward to the Serene 2 then philipsmz?,I think B&O have gone down a funny route with this one, and I also think they are allowing Samsung to take advantage just a little bit. Hmm maybe they were swayed by the profit margin they could make on it. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think this phone does anything else that any other eg, samsung phone would do, so going back to the title of this post, style is the only thing going for it really. I'm also guessing the profit margin is big, as what would make it any more complicated to make than any other mobile. Mobiles seem to be made in huge quantities in small time periods so looks like B&O wanted to cash in on this.

Hi,  I think the serene in its present form will be around for years. It isn't meant to date, unlike other more 'modern' designs. It will be like bs9000 or bl8000 etc, which although ten years old are still 'special'

Brian

The wow factor is in the motorised opening, and the simplicity of th ringtones.  But this phone is shockingly backward in some respects.  Took it with me to the US last October, and found that I had to MANUALLY change the band from GSM900 to xxx (whatever it is they use out there).

Correction to my previous post:

How would this be https://www.astonmartin.com/newcollection/showproducts.asp?category=Nokia%208800&Item=405

https://www.astonmartin.com/newcollection/pdf/Nokia%208800.pdf

it's just you [and a few more ofcourse] because it's neither male nor female; it's a phone and a beautifull and different one as well.

it will be around for much longer than any other type of phone, because it's no cosmetic case but a real [different] phone with not to much additionals wich don't have a lot to do with phones [a phone is for calling/sms and nothing more imho] and the serene even has an extra for me to use [wich I don't need nor want on a phone, but he it's there] a camera ! any picture taken with a phone is *** compared to a decent camera so who uses it? if the commercials had'nt told us the use of a camera on a phone, no one would have want one.

it's all a matter of taste and time will tell how longlasting it will be, but the number of male users is far bigger than the female ones so this would tell you something would'nt it?

The Serene is a strange product, which falls between chairs.

The shape is often associated with that of a woman's compact. But if they had called it Axe instead of Serene, then we would have looked at it with completely different eyes. On end it looks like the blade of an axe. Shows you how the mind is influenced.

They should never have put a camera in it. Should have been pared down to absolute essentials.

And it should never have been launched as a complete phone - because it isn't, and people who expect to be able to use it as such will be disappointed.

The Serene should have been sold as a dress phone. The one you use in the evenings, when you're at parties or at social events, and just want a light and comfortable phone in your pocket. Just as we have dress watches, we could also have a dress phone. A lot of us are using PDAs, Blackberrys, etc - heavy and bulky contraptions that we wouldn't mind losing in the evenings. The Serene could have found that market.

But then positioning isn't B&O's strength, mildly stated!


 

TEL:

How would this be https://www.astonmartin.com/newcollection/showproducts.asp?category=Nokia%208800&Item=405

https://www.astonmartin.com/newcollection/pdf/Nokia%208800.pdf

Wow, now that's more like it . That phone certainly doesn't make me think cosmetics case when I look at it. Now that is more like what B&O should be going for. I think B&O has been taking pointers from the wrong company here.    

beodude:

So I take it that you are looking forward to the Serene 2 then philipsmz?, I  just think B&O have gone down a funny route with this one, and I also think they are allowing Samsung to take advantage just a little bit. Hmm maybe they were swayed by the profit margin they could make on it. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think this phone does anything else that any other eg, samsung phone would do, so going back to the title of this post, style is the only thing going for it really. I'm also guessing the profit margin is big, as what would make it any more complicated to make than any other mobile. Mobiles seem to be made in huge quantities in small time periods so looks like B&O wanted to cash in on this.

Very nice Nokia, however to me the message is "look, I have a nokia Aston Martin, I'll never afford the car but I have the logo in my phone". Most owners of Serene also own B&O stuff, although not every B&O lover will like serene. That's clear.

I have a Serene and an earset 2 and what I like of it is that I have never seen anybody else with that phone. As opposed to it, my neeze got the Nokia8080 on her 15th birthday..

You are right, it looks like a makeup case, that's probably the reason of the effect it causes in the ladies when they see it, specially at bars. Let's face it, in one year time we will still be writing about Serene and will be comparing it with nokia 99999999 and no one will remember current nokias. Ther are just different products, for different people.

beobeo:

Very nice Nokia, however to me the message is "look, I have a nokia Aston Martin, I'll never afford the car but I have the logo in my phone". Most owners of Serene also own B&O stuff, although not every B&O lover will like serene. That's clear.

I have a Serene and an earset 2 and what I like of it is that I have never seen anybody else with that phone. As opposed to it, my neeze got the Nokia8080 on her 15th birthday..

You are right, it looks like a makeup case, that's probably the reason of the effect it causes in the ladies when they see it, specially at bars. Let's face it, in one year time we will still be writing about Serene and will be comparing it with nokia 99999999 and no one will remember current nokias. Ther are just different products, for different people.

 
I wasn't really swayed by the fact that it had Aston Martin logo on it lol. I agree it just make you think they can't afford the car but they can have a phone with the logo on it. I was just looking at the general design of it ie much better looking than the Serene.
 

BTW soundproof even if they called it axe, when opened it would still look like a cosmetics case. It's the kind of phone I think would be perfect for my wife, but not for me :-) 

When they make Serene 2, I think they should definitely butch it up a little more !! 

Henry:

Correction to my previous post:

Hello Henry,
I though that too. IMHO, this mobile phone is more women oriented.

One feature I like in the Serene, is the automatic opening and closing function.

Guy