Hello everyone!

As I'm sure most of you know, Lee was given a "press sample" of the new Serenata mobile phone at the official launch in Berlin last Monday.

After spending nearly a day of his life typing up a simplified version of the user guide, along with a complete transcript of his interview with Torben Ballegard Sorensen, the Serenata was passed to my good self in order for it to be road tested in the "real world"!

Before I begin, I'll point out that this is only my personal review of the product - Peter will take possession of it from tomorrow, and will post a further review at a later date.

For those that don't know me (or of me!), I'm Matt Russell, 22 years old, and I help run LifeStyle AV alongside Lee. My mobile phones are subject to a tough life in general - I'm very active in all that I do! During working hours I fly around the UK in cars/vans, taking a phone with me wherever I go to ensure that Lee can add an extra 100 miles from a single call if he wishes. The phone will be stuffed into pockets, ashtrays, storage compartments, bags.... you get the idea! And this is before I even get back home, to the land of pubs, clubs, gyms, dog walking..... the list is endless!!!

Anyway - the point I'm trying (and failing) to make is this - Lee has done all the technical specs, and described the inner workings of the phone within the pinned "BeoWorld Presents Serenata" thread.

What I have done is use the phone in my everyday life.... this is how it / we got on!!!

I am already looking forward to your impressions! 

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

Like most BeoWorlders, I'd seen the "spy" shots of the Serenata before I actually handled the product. However, when it was fished out from it's box I really was taken aback!

Firstly, it is absolutely beautiful to look at. The online pictures really don't do the handset justice in my opinion! Never before (even with the Serene) has a mobile caught my attention like Serenata did out of the box - you don't have to touch it or use it to know that it's a cut above the rest in terms of quality and design.

Secondly (and this isn't necessarily a bad point), the phone was far larger than I'd envisaged! Standing at 11cm high, and 2cm thick, it's no leviathan - don't get me wrong! I just imagined it to be far smaller from looking at the photographs posted on BeoWorld before.

Serenata's shape makes hadling very easy - it sits neatly in your hand like an old friend! The black outer casing is soft to the touch and appears to be be coated with some kind of mark-resistant laquer - no fingerprints or greasy marks here (unlike the Serene)!

The inbuilt stand at the rear flips down solidly, and gives me complete confidence that it won't be snapped off as soon as that horrific first accident occurs, as it's fixed firmly into the aluminium heart of the unit itself. I immediately loved the way the Serenata looked when in "desk mode" - with the phone elegantly leaning back at a 45 degree angle, it really sets itself apart from anything else available today.

Sliding the speaker up and out from behind the main user interface will take some practice if you wish to look cool and impress friends, but again, once extended, it feels rigid and firm, and gives you the impression that maybe - just maybe, Bang & Olufsen have had a think about potential buyers who may not want to keep the phone in 1) A horrible leather case, or 2) The equally horrible nylon coated carry-bag!

So, after much stroking, opening, closing, and turning the jog wheel for no reason whatsoever, I popped my '3' SIM card in, and fired her up.....

 

You're doing a good job of this Matt.  Just like a real profeshnial Keep it up.

Andy T.

Enjoying the reading!

Now now, his typo rate is much lower than mine usually is. It can be proof read later. I just like the style this review is being done in.

 

Nicholas 

USING SERENATA IN EVERYDAY LIFE

Right.... fast forward now..... I've been sitting looking at Serenata in the office all day, but the manic work rate has prevented me from playing with it at all!

So now I'm just using the phone in my daily comings and goings, and basically using it where I'd normally whip out my trusty Nokia N73 ('Would be the best phone available today - if it had Wi-Fi'). How would the Serenata do?

SIM Data Transfer

Before using Serenata, I needed to switch all my names and numbers over from the Nokia SIM. Simple enough - just scrolled through the Phonebook menu (as detailed in Lee's previous review), selected "Copy All From SIM", and hey presto - within 10 seconds 100+ details had been transferred to the Serenata's phonebook! Excellent. We're off!   (Later I was to find out that there was a slight problem here - read on to find out what).

Phone Calls

Hmmm. No buttons! No worries though - simply tap the screen whilst the phone is in standby mode and hey presto - an "Old School" circular dialling pad appears!!

 (shamlessly swiped from Lee's post).

Like Lee, I first had some difficulty in getting to grips with the scroll wheel - the blue cursor on the display moves at a ridiculous speed! Soon though, I learnt to control my Lewis Hamilton-esque thumb, and slowed down to make dialling a doddle. Simply highlight the relevant number in blue, and click the centre button on the jog wheel to confirm. When the full number is shown, click the left centre (Green) side, and away it goes! Easy!

I must admit though - I have only done this twice in four days - if you are anything like me, you dial the numbers in your Contact List 99% of the time, so any problems you may or may not have with this method are limited to the occassional fumble. Dialling from the Phonebook is easy - highlight your chosen contact and click the green side of the jog wheel!

So, you've entered your number, and you're ready to talk. What does it sound like?

Well, this one was a foregone conclusion if you ask me! Serene was excellent at making and handling calls, and every user will agree that the clarity from it's speaker during conversations was second to none. Well, now it's second to Serenata!

Obviously signal strength varies from place to place (ask Lee - LOL), but as my network has pretty good coverage around Eastbourne, so interference was minimal. I was hugely impressed by the clarity of the call - no hiss, no echo - just the sound of the person on the other end of the line, clear and crisp!

However, as I'm usually on the move, I preferred using the "Handsfree" option - simplified, I simply slid the loudspeaker out from it's hiding place, and the call was amplified to room-filling level. I can only guess that the microphone's sensitivity was increased, too, as I could sit 5/6ft away from the handset and have a conversation easily with the recipient! This is important to me, as I don't wish to get caught by the Police whilst I'm fumbling around with a phone in my lap and shouting, as the poor soul on the other end can't hear a thing!

The third option for calling is with the EarSet 3 headset, which is included with the Serenata. Lee had already warned me about this new gadget - unlike the Earset 1 & 2, the Earset 3 is based on the A8 headphones, with a microphone added for good measure! This results in a strange "stereo" conversation with the person on the other end of the line - which sounds fantastic!!!!

Any user of the A8's will know their capabilities when it comes to music playback (this is their primary role with the Serenata, too), but they are extremely effective at creating a realistic soundstage when it comes to conversation, and are far more comfortable to wear than the previous efforts from B&O!

 

 

Text Messaging

As a 22 year old with an active social life, texing is most important to me!

As all modern genlemen know, ladies cannot pick up the telephone and simply speak to you - they find it easier to momentarily turn their thumbs blurry and hammer out a small essay instead.

Therefore a reply within 5 minutes is required - 6 minutes and I'm clearly cheating on her with another woman!

Unfortunately, future Serenata owners will need to sit the other half down and re-negotiate the 5 minute rule, as I'm quite certain that even writing "OK honey! xx" cannot be completed within less than 7!!

The lack of a keypad is noticable from the start with Serenata (if you hadn't realised that by now, then shame on you). Dialling is fairly simple - we've covered that earlier! Texting, however, is not. Infact, it's nigh on impossible!!!

Texting can be divided into two methods:

 METHOD 1 - IMPOSSIBLE

Method 1 is standard Text Messaging. On a normal phone, you press the number key as many times as it takes to allow that letter to appear, then move on. With Serenata, you use the jog wheel to highlight three letters, the click the jog wheel until that letter appears, then you scroll to the right to move on. If that wasn't complicated enough (and it really is!), and you feel confident enough to tackle punctuation and spaces, the lower touch screen functions come into play!

 You'll see at the bottom of the screen three symbols - these can be pressed at any time, and are as follows:

1. PUNCTUATION MARKS / SYMBOLS             2. UPPER / LOWER CASE LETTERING                3. SEND MESSAGE

Simply brush your finger over any one of the functions to open a sub-menu (apart from Lower/Upper Cases). With Punctuation Marks and Symbols, this fills the lower half of the screen with every Wingding you'd ever need when sending your loved one a "I'll be home at 8 - :o) x" text. Same principle as with the letters here - scroll over your chosen symbol and click to add it to the message.

So, you get the idea here - it's fairly awkward and slightly annoying to have to manually enter each word, so.....

 METHOD 2 - POSSIBLE, WITH PRACTICE

SWITCH ON T9 AUTO-INPUT!!!!

Obviously you need to still scroll through, but rather than click on each letter continuously, the clever predictive computer within the Serenata guesses what you are trying to say! Once the word is complete, you can scroll through other possible matches by touching the "Send" part of the lower screen, which changes to "Matches" when T9 is in use. It still takes much longer than a standard phone, but it makes it bearable to use again!

Without a shadow of a doubt, anyone who purchases a Serenata in a month or so should make T9 a priority - even if you send one text per month, you'll need T9 on! Chances are without it, you'll take a month to send one anyway, so it's a better deal allround!

PROBLEMS ARISE.....

So, the message is ready to be sent! Excellent. Brush the "More" portion of the touch screen in the top right hand corner, and select "Send Message". The next "Add Recipient" menu offered me the following:

ADD FROM PHONEBOOK

ENTER NUMBER

ADD FROM GROUP

Like most people, I was texting somebody I knew well, and so highlighted and clicked on "Add From Phonebook". Simple!

Once into the phonebook screen, I selected the chosen recipient, and the Serenata automatically entered the number for me. Only one thing left to do now - confirm "Send".... and away it went (a full 30 minutes after I commenced typing the message in).

However.... this is when I realised that I, and/or the phone had made a grave error!!!

SIM CONTACTS!

Apparently (and certainly without my knowledge), the Serenata had stuck two fingers up to the Nokia regime which had ruled my SIM for the past 12 months, and hilariously / terrifylingly listed all home numbers as Mobiles within it's memory (if one contact has two numbers under the same name, you list them accordingly - Home, Mobile, Work etc).

How did I discover the above? Well, one particular (and very personal) message was sent to my girlfriend's mobile (or so I thought).

What had actually happened was this: I'd hit "Send", Serenata had swapped home and mobiles over in it's memory (without my knowledge), and the text message had been read out to my girlfriend's mother by Tom Baker (Dr. Who / Little Britain) and the magic of BT's home text service.

First I knew of this was when aformentioned girlfriend rung up in laughter / tears, asking why I would ever send that to the house instead of her own mobile! Oblivious, I told her to shut up, and explained I'd done no such thing. Later, she visited my home and the conversation continued - which prompted me to check the phonebook to check I hadn't swapped the numbers round myself during the SIM change.

To my horror, there it was - her home number listed under "Mobile" - along with numerous other contacts!

A lesson to be learnt!!! I'm not sure if this is just a Nokia / Serenata problem, but I presume it's just the way one phone saves data and another uploads it! If I'd had a Samsung I'm sure the error would not have occurred!!

Any future owners beware though - it needs to be checked before you send ANYTHING!!!

 

More to be added later... I have a prior engagement which I'd completely overlooked!!!

I'm well aware that everyone wants to hear about how the Serenata got on when paired with a PC (not a Mac - sorry - I'm sure Peter will oblige!), and I'll pop that in another post as soon as I get back.

Sorry!!!!

I am gravely in danger of being usurped by an employee..

Matt, can you make some typo's and make it less informative please..

Lee

 

I'm not sure if I like the Serenata, but I like the review, very down to earth, really what one expects from a review: how to use the product in the everyday life.

9 LEE:

I am gravely in danger of being usurped by an employee..

Matt, can you make some typo's and make it less informative please..

Lee

 

As a Driving instructor, I deal with 17 year olds all the time and am aware that they would rather text than speak.
About 5 or 6 times a week, therefore, I have to reply to a text with a text.
On my Serene, I always use T9 but, as I always try to be correct with spelling, abbreviations and grammar, I have to exit T9 and the same goes for upper and lower case letters.
I think Serenata would make this virtually impossible!
Having said that, Serenata is not a 'phone that plays music, but a music player that has a 'phone built in.
Matt, you are a star!!!

Andy T.

Right! After a quick 140 mile round trip to London and back, I'm ready to finish!!!

Linking Serenata to a PC

After Lee had introduced me as the "tech-savvy" youngster of the review trio, I was slightly worried about linking the Serenata to a PC. Computers (especially in our office) tend to just ignore any commands I throw at them, and freeze, leaving me to either curse and hit the screen and keyboard for no reason at all, or just pull the plug from the wall, doubtlessly destroying half of this year's accounts simultaneously. However, I valiantly decided I was up to the task, and so set out on a misson to replace the Danish chillout the B&O press people had added with Arctic Monkeys and Fedde Le Grand (no comments on music taste please).

Firstly, I attempted the task on my housemate's laptop (at home). Serenata comes complete with a CD-ROM containing a PDF copy of the user guide and the relevant software required to get the phone and your PC speaking the same language. Or so I thought.

Once the CD-ROM had been popped in, a very stylish Serenata menu was displayed, with links to the Serenata site, the official Bang & Olufsen website, a PDF Guide, and a link to a BeoPlayer download. No software on the disc then - the internet is needed! Turns out the software "required" is the latest BeoPlayer.... and only having moved into our house 3 weeks ago, Sky haven't yet bothered to turn up and connect our Broadband. So, CD-ROM out, angry huff on, into car, drive to work, pray PCs in office are in good mood......

Sitting in my familiar surroundings at LSAV, I now have the Serenata sitting neatly next to me in it's docking station, which is in turn connected to a weird little "hub", which connects to the mains for charging purposes, the EarSet 3 (for listening to music whilst the phone is charging, I suppose), and the PC via USB.

CD-ROM is popped in again, link to BeoPlayer is ferociously clicked until Explorer pops up with a page from deep in the bowels of www.bang-olufsen.com. However... problems continue, as the Bang & Olufsen site points out that my PC is too new, and is running on Windows Vista, so BeoPlayer won't work. Apparently they are developing an all-new version for Vista which will be available soon - so don't dispair if you have upgraded recently - it's on it's way! Doesn't help me now though, does it? I'm stuffed!!

Not so, though, as I mucked about with the Serenata looking for a way into the PC. Found it within seconds, as the "More" button available via the Touchscreen at standby offers the command "Connect to PC". That'll do it, then!!!

Three options are available when using Serenata with a PC -

PC Studio (absolutely no idea what this does, and the manual sheds no light either - sorry)

MTP - Media Transfer Protocol (for transferring music files from a PC via BeoPlayer)

Mass Storage (for transferring music files from a Mac via BeoPlayer)

The guide stated I should choose MTP, and so away I click, and immediately my PC detects the Serenata, and starts downloading the relevant software straight from the phone!!! The CD-ROM may as well be a mug stand! Result!

As soon as the software had found a home in a place I'll never, ever be able to find it or delete it from, Windows Media Player and Napster (which we are subscribed to) immediately added Serenata as a removable device, and I was able to simply drag and drop tracks to the phone. Napster simply asked for confirmation, and within 15 seconds of pressing "Yes", the Arctic Monkeys were ready to rock the, erm, desk, with 2006 hit "Mardy Bum".

It really was so simple a 5 year old could have done it. BeoPlayer is simply not necessary, and to be honest, I was glad I didn't have to install it. It bugs me beyond belief when that little black arrow keeps popping it's head round the corner of your screen like a child peeping from under the covers to check for monsters. Yes, I'm still here. No, I don't want to use you. Go away.

For those who don't have Napster, Windows Media Player v.11 can act as the hub for all of your music to be downloaded to Serenata. WMP allows you to "Rip" your CDs to the hard drive of your PC for use as you wish - but remember you will not be able to display album covers on the screen of the Serenata this way - you'll need to purchase tracks from iTunes or Napster (other online MP3 sites are available!) to do so.

I'm sure Peter will post his experiences downloading music from his Mac later on this coming week when he's had a chance to fool about with it - if it was this easy with Windows, though, I can't think that iTunes will be a problem!

The Music Player Itself

Here's me doing everything in the wrong order, calling, texting, downloading.... I'm forgetting the fact that this device is primarily designed for use as a Music Player, not a mobile telephone!

As soon as I had two seconds spare, I listened to the Serenata playing The Eagles "Hotel California - Live", which had been generously added by the Danish. Without overdoing it at all here - I was dumbstruck (ask Lee). With the oral setup of a goldfish I just stood and watched it play the song to me with a sound so clear it was hard to believe.

The speaker unit itself is a tiny 1.2cm in depth, and yet with that tiny cabinet volume it produces truly awesome sound reproduction. The clarity of the music really is something to behold, with guitar music sounding especially realistic. Jack Johnson's "Sitting, Waiting, Wishing" sounds fantastic, and you can hear the musicians fingers stroking the strings - something we sometimes take for granted with BeoLab loudspeakers - but this is a phone!!! I honestly cannot think of anything which would accurately describe the sound the unit produces, but it's literally 100 times more accurate than any of Sony Ericsson's so-called 'Walkman' phones which sell so well.

Saying that, it's probably going to cost over 10 times more than a Walkman phone, but for the sheer "my God" factor when you play a track to a friend for the first time - it's worth every penny!

 

 

REACTION FROM THE GENERAL PUBLIC

I took the Serenata out pretty much everywhere I went, and it got a rapturous reception wherever it went. I did toy with getting photgraphs of all the people who made comments, but most of them said no, so the idea was scrapped. I did it though, honest!

"Gorgeous!!" - Gordon Harker, Dealer principal, Bang & Olufsen of Salisbury (dealers haven't seen one yet!)

"It sounds amazing, is easy to use and looks beautiful. However, I could never justify spending that much money on what is essentially a mobile with an MP3 player inbuilt. One drop and it would be ruined forever". - Jude Burcombe, Immigration Enforcement Officer, South London

"I don't like it's weight - you'd always know it was in your pocket and it's too bulky. I am massively impressed by the sound quality, though". - Kieran Moynihan, Carpenter, Brighton

"The sound quality is better than our stereo"!! - Mick Youngman, Lok n Store, Eastbourne

"What the hell is that? A mobile? You're kidding"!! (Matt turns on music to show other side of Serenata) "That's incredible". (Grabs Serenata and passes it around table whilst it's still playing to show friends) - Simon Bowles, Plumber, Spain

"I don't like it - it's too heavy and who would ever actually sit down and listen to it anyway? It looks nice, but that's about it". - Selina Mausomi, Mortgage Advisor, Eastbourne

"It's awesome, but too expensive and would get trashed within a week. One slip and it's hundreds down the drain". - Steve Downes, Heating Engineer, Eastbourne

"It looks like an upside down ipod, but in a good way. Not sure I'd even allow myself to spend that much on an everyday gadget though - I wouldn't ever use the music side - just the phone, so it'd be a waste". - David Johnson, Solicitor, Brighton

"Get on with your work". - Lee Marriott, BeoHolic, Eastbourne

"It's the best looking mobile I've seen, but I can't afford it and I'd get impatient with having to use a wheel to text people - it's not practical at all". - Jo Brown, Card Fraud Investigator, Brighton

I spoke to many others who couldn't muster anymore than "Yeah, it's nice", and some more who immediately branded their Motorolas the best thing since Hovis, so this couldn't possibly be worth a quick peek.

However, general feedback was very good, and most said they'd buy it if it cost less. I gave them a guide price of around £900 - as we can't believe it'll be less than a Serene is now, but can't see it being as high as £1000.

Serenata is for those who:

1. Absolutely have to make a lifestyle statement with everything they own, from a house, all the way down to their socks. In other words, Prima Donnas.

2. Are true Bang & Olufsen fans, who realise that this phone/music player isn't the most practical item in the world when it comes to number input and texting, but it does make you feel good about yourself everytime you use it - rather like each time you open the wings of your BeoCenter 2, and suddenly £2800 doesn't sound like a ridiculous price for a Radio and DVD Player, or whenever you press '45' on a BeoGram record deck, and watch the tangential arm move across to find the edge of your vinyl as if by magic....

I think this is why the Serenata will be a big hit - it doesn't do anything hugely radical or cutting-edge, but just focuses on what everyone should want and need from both a portable MP3 player and a mobile phone, and does it bloody well. Yes, yes, it has features that some will find horribly annoying (like the ringtones), but for others, these features are what make the phone unique and special.

The message alert may sound like a African instrument, and may well provoke catcalls of "Ah-Wimoweh" on the tube, but you won't care, because you have a Serenata, and they will have a Nokia in one pocket, and an ipod in the other. You have both in your hand! 1-0!

 

THE LAST WORD - WOULD I HAVE ONE?

If you've read the whole thread, I'm sure you'll be able to answer this for yourself by now.

I adore the Serenata, and will be gutted to send it to Peter tomorrow afternoon.

As previously stated, it is tricky to get a feel for all of the everyday functions, but, within 24 hours, it'll be second nature, and you'll be defending Serenata from all doubters, and arguing that scroll wheel text input makes perfect sense!

Seriously though, with my life, and what I do, the unit would be destroyed cosmetically within a month. It wouldn't matter how hard I try to keep it safe, the inevitable would eventually happen, and that would be it. Gone. Finished. You just wouldn't care!

Those who doubt me - wait till you see one, and you'll know exactly what I mean - one mark, one scratch, one miniscule blemish which can't be wiped off and you'll be GUTTED.

So, would I have one? No. Not because I don't want one, because I do, not because I can't use it, because I can, but because I'd be too damn scared of ruining it.... and I don't care how rich anyone is - you wouldn't want to ruin this.

Me owning this phone would be like taking a Bugatti Veyron into a stock car race and trying to finish it without a scratch. You'd probably do OK for a few laps, but then.... bang! A Triumph Herald would nudge the back and leave a nasty little dent - and that would be it. Ruined. You could still use it, and everything would be fine, but that little mark would be in the back of your mind all the time, and you just wouldn't enjoy it as much.

Sadly, the Nokia N73 will live on in my pocket.... for now, anyway.

Over to you, Peter.......

ONE LAST THING (WHICH I FORGOT)!!!

Undoubtedtly the most annoying thing about mobile phones are the screens. They constantly get greasy marks all over them, not to mention the general dirt and fluff aquired from sitting in your pockets.

The Serenata's screen is on the same level as the aluminium at the top and bottom of the unit, meaning that you can simply wipe the screen clean without pushing all the dirt into grooves around the side. For me, this is big! I'm pretty certain that there are a few different ecosystems using my Nokia as a playground, but I can't wipe them out as they are trapped down the sides of the screen, where no human can ever go.

I'm positive Bang & Olufsen didn't sit there and think

"We need to make the screens easy to clean"....

 but well done anyway! It certainly made me happy!

I still want one....

jazz

So do I!!! The most aggravating this is that I have one here now, but it has to go!!!

Just popping on here b4 work, thanks for the honest review that was good. Yeah, "you've got a Nokia & iPod in your pockets, and i have both in my palm" thats what i love about this thing!

I sincerely hope Australia doesn't have to wait any longer than December. I will not be able to cope without a Serenata for any longer than that!!

No word on when it's going to be released in Australia yet - UK should get it within the next month or so though. So proud to have been one of the first in the world to really give it a good thrashing - have read some other online reviews from biased sites who have obviously opened the box, looked at it, quoted some stats, said it's too expensive but looks nice and then put it straight back, and it's so sad to think they can't be bothered. It's fantastic.

sorry, i did forget to thank your for taking the time to do the review. How rude of me.

So thankyou.

I look forward to hearing others thoughts when it hits the market.

jazz

Thank you Jazz, but it really was a pleasure to do!!

It's only down to BeoWorld's members that things like this are becoming possible - Lee has put (and continues to put) a huge amount of effort into the site, and thanks to the support of the BeoWorlders, Bang & Olufsen have realised that we are a valuable source of information and feedback - let's hope it continues!!!

Next time, I hope to review the Advanced Sound System in the Audi RS8 for one week, before delivering a fair and honest verdict!

good luck with that.... lol

I have been fortunate enough to drive an RS4 and that was an awesome experience.

I have also been fortunate enough to exerience the Advanced Sound System in the A8. All i can say is WOW...

jazz