Photo gallery: Bang & Olufsen and Samsung SerenataLooking at Bang & Olufsen and Samsung's joint venture, the Serenata, you might do a double take: "Hang on, is that a scroll-wheel?" Why, yes it is.
Talking to Bang & Olufsen executives recently, there seemed to be a degree of regret in the B&O camp about the fact that Apple had beaten them to trademarking the scroll-wheel. If B&O had gotten there first, would the iPod even exist?
Upside
The Serenata scroll-wheel is the device's coup de grace — forgive us our "la-de-da" description, this is a pretty posh phone after all. Unlike the iPod, the Serenata's wheel actually moves, and it feels pretty cool.
B&O are pushing this device as a music player first, phone second. And while this has been tried before by Sony Ericsson and Nokia, music always seemed to come off second best. But in the Serenata they may just have the mix right. We couldn't even tell it was a phone, even after playing with it briefly.
One plus is that it will play uncompressed music files — in the form of Microsoft's proprietary but free WMA Lossless codec — which means you won't have to compromise on sound quality while on the move.
The phone — if we can call it that — also includes a slide-out speaker for music listening, and it also doubles as a hands-free speaker.
Quoting specs at this point almost seems irrelevant, but for the pocket-protector in us all it boasts 4GB of storage, up to 280 hours of standby time and up to three hours of talk time.
Downside
People who complained about the US pricing of the iPhone may want to look away now. Though not set in stone, expect to pay around AU$1,500 once the phone is released in Australia.
Also, the device's predecessor, the Serene, may have looked distinctive, but how many people do you know who actually bought one?
Outlook
With the combination of Bang & Olufsen's audiophile heritage and Samsung's know-how in both MP3 players and phones, the Serenata is sure to be a killer device. It's no bigger or heavier than an iPod Classic and will no doubt sound a lot better. But like all things from the Danish manufacturer, expect to pay a premium for it.
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