I just came across the sliding samsung f400 (B&O equipped of course) and was wondering if anyone had any experience with it. I am in the market for a new phone and would like to have something special. But at the same time, something within reason. Practicality plays a role as well, however, I have little to no interest in the iPhone. I am looking for something that will raise eyebrows. Thank you.

If you want to raise eyebrows, get the Vertu. The Serenata , which is to be discontinued will also impress others - but in common with the Serene, I certainly do not find it that impressive to use. I think B&O have made a wise decision to leave this market alone.

A 250 dollar phone will never rise any eyebrows. 

I am a big fan of the serene, I would like to have it most. I am just skeptical about its performance as far as battery life and the motorization. I like the F400 on the basis of practicality, and its more recent technology like the 3mp camera internet capability. In other words, I think that I would be able to keep it for longer and still be satisfied on how well-rounded the phone is - unlike the primitive serene and seemingly bulky serenata.

When I say raise eyebrows I meant it with a sesnse of individuality as not many people have a particular phone, or not many people know about it.

evman140:

When I say raise eyebrows I meant it with a sesnse of individuality as not many people have a particular phone, or not many people know about it.

I bought a Serene a few days ago and in the limited time I have had it more than 5 people have already commented on how much they love it when I have been using it in public. You want one, that much is obvious, so go get it. Life is too short to spend time thinking about it!

Simon.

I went from a Nokia E90 Communicator to a Serene and although the Serene offers zero standout technical features I haven't found myself being caught out by this.  Over the past few years I had also found myself buying high end smartphones and rarely using the features provided, so over the long term I will probably end up saving money.

Hi Evman, these guys don´t really answer your question but I will.......I bought this phone 4 months ago and I must say it is a really nice phone............I had the Serene before this one but it was too limited for me, no ringtones or screensavers you can download, it is getting bored to be honoust.......the F400 has good features and does the job perfectly........pretty good camera, loud enough and easy to use...........I do not know how the Serenata sounds (MP3) or how loud but this one does it very well.........it sounds better than an average phone and you can compare the speakers with the Nokia N95............I hope this answers your question............get one and you won´t regret it, I am sure........I love mine.............

Greetz Conan

Well actually any and all info about either the serene or the f400 is helpful, but thank you Conan . When i am looking for a new phone I look for calling (obviously), texting and the occaisional sending and receiving of pictures. To my understanding, the serene is capable of this and so is the f400. The argument against the serene for me is that it is outrageously expensive and I'm worried that it won't satisfy me. If I get a serene it will most likely be used in order to get the best deal. The f400, however, is sounding to me like the better phone unless of course someone can prove me otherwise (it won't take much).

Just a few questions about the f400; Was it sold in the US? If not is there an English version? The battery; heard it was good, heard there was an battery expansion? Does it age well? -How does the slider hold up?

Thanks everyone,

Evan

Hi Evan, I am from Holland so don´t know anything about US or English version.............the battery life is very good....I use it for calling, texting, music with or without the speakers (earphone) and I have to charge it once a week or so...............pretty good if you ask me.......as I wrote earlier, I have the F400 for 4 months now and it´s holding good but I have to admit, I take care so no other stuff in my pockets like keys or money with my phone.........the slider works like day 1...........only 1 disadvantage and that is that the screen is a fingerprint magnet.........but to be honest, so is the Serene on the outside, if you have greasy fingers you can keep wiping it of all the time..........I know I don´t use all the features on this phone but it is a good phone and not too expensive (paid 150 Euros for it)........compare that to a second hand Serene...............

Gr. Conan

PS. did not see your post about the Serene first.

I have the Serene and even though it's old now, I took it out for a spin the other night and some people noticed it on the table.... they just had to play with it. It is definitely a phone that gets attention....

My main concern is watching them hold it while the motor tries to open and they are pulling it around....

lucky i bought it used.

Evman,

I think we had some of this discussion in the past and I thought you said you were sold on the Serene.

As far as the F400, it is still a tri-band GSM phone and will have the same limitations in the US as the Serene. The HSDPA 2100 MHz that is included on the F400 is not currently in use in the US.

If you want uniqueness with B&O design, go with the Serene. As with any B&O device you will really question the cost at the time of purchase and then a few months (or years in some cases) you will remind yourself what a great decision you made. Living with good design is very satisfying. 

I will be purchasing a Serene in the near future as I have recently moved and have better local coverage in the tri-band suite from two providers. As I suggested previously, you should borrow a live phone from the Columbus store and use it on your daily rounds and see if it is giving the coverage you need.

Good luck.

Affineur,

I realize the repetition and I apologize for that. The reason for me bringing this back up is because I was not aware of the f400 at the time of our previous discussions about the serene. I was assured by my carrier that the triband coverage should not prove problematic. I confirmed this by researching my current phone and discovering that it too is a triband, but I am not sure if it uses the same bands as the f400 or the serene (my current phone is 850/1800/1900, is this different than the B&O phones?). I am afraid that I am not familiar with the HSDPA feature.

Luke,

You have brought one of my other concerns about the serene into view, the motorization. Does this feature age well? I am of course skeptical and would like to further expand on this particular feature. However, I quite like the idea of a phone with motorized flip action.

Your phone has the 850 MHz band which is for the US market. The Serene and F400 do not have this band and is why you need to be careful about coverage here in the US. The concerns are explained in a post from the previous discussion. You should be able to borrow a live phone from the store for a test; I think that most of the users are with T Mobile (1900 MHz primary carrying freq) as they will provide the most reliable coverage for the Serene in thier areas of concentration.

Do you know anything about AT&T?