I don't know what to say, i hate new Beo 5 design, Serenata is better, but a slider, and i've allready heard from Mobilereview.com editor that this phone is very user unfriednly as for the controls... something wrong is happening with the B&O desing, serene was three times better

Well it is certainly different! Actually not that interested in music on my phone so probably not for me though.

Well there's a B&O product that I can honestly say that I don't want :o(

Never thought B&O would make the same mistake again...

Come on Struer, what are you playing at?  Wheres the innovative design?

Apple bring out a new interface and B&O stick with the wheel?

How uninspired can a product be..

 

It also turns out that the part that slides up is a speaker, so there is a chance that phone doesn't have a usual tactile keyboard, yet it was reported as one with touch display.

I must also say that I’m not just some Nokia user, I was a B&O admirer for the very long time, Bang and Olufsen is a company that inspired me to become a designer (can pm a link on my portfolio if anyone is interested), I still remember the day my dad took me to a music store (there were no official dealers at the moment) and I saw a B&O system. I was more than influenced by its philosophy and unique vision. When my product design  was published in Bolig Eksklusiv in Denmark it also was something special to me, because Denmark is where B&O from. But what I see now is different, it is like the same design but without passion, I’m not sure for Serenata, and I love BeoVision 8, but Beo5 from my point of view is a step back… When I first saw Serene I also made a mistake but than I bought it, and it is a true B&O product so may be and hope that serenata is as good we just should wait to hold it personally.

I agree - always wait to see what it is like in real life before passing judgment! I actually like the wheel - I don't want an iPhone clone - I want a B&O.

The only thing I'll say about the Serenta is this: who on earth thinks that the "Bang & Olufsen" name should be so close to SAMSUNG? The same problem with the Serene -- it's just ridiculous to have the two brands next to each other, juxtaposed.

It would be one thing if B&O's name was positioned clearly as the designer, such as Bertone and Pininfarina on cars, but as it is it's like half the phone with twice the branding.

Since B&O were selling their own version of the Serene anyway, why not just mill two variants of the metal hinge: one with Samsung alone, and one with B&O? Same with the Serenata, if B&O have their own firmware for BeoCom syncing again.

I think it looks georgeus, Serene didn`t! I may switch my Prada phone for this one

well it is how "joint venture" does work... it is that simple. I think it is more Samsung than B&O from PR point, after Serene Samsung also worked with Jasper Morrison (e590 is a very good designers phone), and the brand image started to change, now Samsung is more and more often considered on a same level the Sony is. So yes - it is a joint product, and yes Samsung needs its name to be close to B&O... Nothing bad in it if phone is a decent piece of design. On other side it wouldn't also matter if the phone is nothing at all...

the phone itself is the only thing that matters, isn't it?

Well I think it looks quite cool - but then I though the Serene looked like a dog and was never shy of pointing out that (I thought) it was impractical, underspeced and overexpensive.

I still think the Serenata will be massively overpriced (Samsund do phones for £50 that will do the same or more) but I think it "looks" B&O and those that will will and I feel they are more justified than they were with the Serene.

Is that an endorsement?? - I'm not sure. Suffice to say I think it will be a better effort than the Serene.

I think it looks quite nice but lacking wow. Love it or hate it, Serene definately has the wow factor.
Pulling this out of your pocket isn't going to make people do a double-take like they do with Serene.
I was hearing today that the speaker is a 'proper', HiFi quality speaker as befits a 'phone/MP3 player.
Can't see it being less than a grand (£1000) and guess I'll stick to my Serene for a couple more years.

Andy T.

jandyt:

I think it looks quite nice but lacking wow. Love it or hate it, Serene definately has the wow factor.
Pulling this out of your pocket isn't going to make people do a double-take like they do with Serene.
I was hearing today that the speaker is a 'proper', HiFi quality speaker as befits a 'phone/MP3 player.
Can't see it being less than a grand (£1000) and guess I'll stick to my Serene for a couple more years.

Andy T.

Isn't taste a funny thing? I don't think the Serene has wow (other than the motor thing)!

I honestly think I've had more stylish bars of Nougat (although they didn't open by themselves).

From the limited pictures I can quite see how the Sereneta could follow the BL9's - initially hated but become a true B&O styling icon

(Mind you the price will also  be a B&O triumph if it sells) - I'll stick to the commodity £50 "phone" phone. I still tend to think of the mobile phone as disposable in the same way as biro's (although that doesn't stop others spending a fortune on fountain pens).

Saying that I still use a fountain pen every so often to re-"neaten" my handwriting (although I'm not sure using a posh phone can do anything to correct my Geordie accent)!

I actually quite like it! The built in speaker should be interesting, I imagine it'll be quite impressive if B&O's engineers have had a proper stab at it! I like the idea of music on my phone, although it isn't an iPod replacement, and shouldn't be compared to an iPod...

I'm not sure but i think the speaker is to use it as a phone... no?

Not sure, but either way, it'll be interesting to see how it sounds. All mobile phone speakers seem to be absolutely rubbish, even if you take their minute size into account...

Oh dear. I was hoping so much for something special this time around. First impressions I would have to say that I don't like it at all. I agree that 'in the flesh' it might suprise me, as the Beo 5 remote did earlier today, but only slightly. I don't particularly like that much either and will stick with a Beo 4. I am not holding out much hope. What is going on with B&O honestly? They really have lost their design edge. I am actually very disappointed if I am to be totally honest. B&O no longer means to me what it once did. I will never buy a B&O product with Samsung (or any other brand name) written on it.

Simon. 

I am actually quite impressed. Good to see it is upside down and doesn't have the normal keyboard. I love eccentricity, thats why i love B&O. From the reactions here, i would say that B&O haven't done a bad job at all with this design. Look at all these strong conflicting opinions!

Simon, you are clearly happy with their older designs. B&O are always ahead in design ideas, and i believe that the serenata will be something to remember, as will the Beo5. 

I look forward to reading a review on what it does, how it does it, and how well it works.

It'll be interesting to see how big the screen is should the unit have a tactile screen and whether this screen will be gloss or matt.I like the dramatic curve at the top of the phone and then subtle tappering at the base, it looks very hand friendly in terms of proportion and line. 

To me, David has summarized in one word what B&O has become: excentric...

When I discovered B&O in 1989, I fell in love with ALL their products , even the BeoSat RX and the video tape packagings..

Now almost everything they release is not receiving comments like "wow, this is beautiful, I wish I could have one", but rather like "ok, what is this supposed to be? weird design!". Apart from the BeoVisions that are still -or finally- flat and square, the rest of the range has become a combination of curves and straight lines, a circle and a square (Beo 5, BeoLab 3, BeoSound 4, and now Serenata), and I find that really ugly.

 And as for function, the upside down screen is a total nonsense to me, same for the metal wheel that will burn your fingers if you leave your phone in the car in summer, and burn your cheek once you hold it for a conversation!

So - basically, the Serenata should be like most other mobile phones, while being Beo-Eccentric?

The problem here is that a lot of other CE manufacturers have discovered the power of design and are using it, where B&O ruled the roost quite on its own during the 80s and 90s. It's simply a lot harder for B&O to stand out.

I don't buy into everything that comes from B&O, but I've been quite intrigued by Lewis' exploration of the square, triangle and circle, which I personally find is done to perfection in the BL5, but which you'll even find in the BL4s, BL3s, etc. Finding the circles in the BL4, and realizing it's actually constructed by the intersection of spheres, is fun.

As to the Serenata, only days to go. 

Apparently Samsung are using B&O to build a better reputation through Europe with their mobile phones. Samsung is huge in South East Asia and they see it as a foot in the door for Europe. That would explain the double branding, it must be a big sacrifice for designers cause it couldn't be done without them. Don't mind the design but not for me, i'll stick to Serene.

David I agree! I believe the design from the 80 were basicly based on the same design idea from the 70. Lots of years to get used to. Jacob Jensens problem today, from my point of view, is that he continue with the same basic idea, no changes at all.

 Gave the pictures some light  for more details , but the telephone looks for mee still boring  

 

Wonderfull, they re-invented the bi bop (a french system of mobile in 90's)

Well I still like the material used on the Seranata.

Meantime I am willing to see the front panel activated and see if the interface is user-friendly.

Does anyone down there has a picture of the Seranata working ? 

Thanks in advance. 

Guy