Serene: Bang & Olufsen's peaceful fashion phone

By on 06 October 2005, 11:28am

If Bang & Olufsen and Samsung's recent flirting had produced little in the way of gossip, then last night's mobile announcement was the equivalent of the couple's first child. The little brat was predictably dressed up in designer clothes by its parents, bearing all of B&O's traditional Danish flair. It was certainly difficult to see Samsung's influence in the project -- this is miles from any mobile the Korean company has produced before.

The unbearably touchy-feely name for the phone is Serene, and it's certainly the sort of concept design not seen since Nokia went through a similar phase late last year. B&O's CEO, Torben Sørensen, was keen to point out the simplicity of design, with a motorised opening mechanism, an iPod-like central navigation wheel and the controversial new circular keypad. All we were waiting to hear was the price, and at €1,000 (£678), it was enough to make the mostly business-oriented press in the audience stifle a gasp.

Outside, and in the company of B&O's Steve Devonshire, the phone certainly lacked an 'ooh' factor to match the Nokia 8800. Its unconventional design brings an Anakin Skywalker level of internal conflict to anyone who uses it -- it's very lightweight, but a little too fat to feel truly svelte. The navigation wheel is a joy to use, but it took twice as long as usual to dial our office phone number on the unusual pad. We've been to see B&O's headquarters in Denmark and seen how seriously the company takes design, but the complete lack of familiarity on the Serene sours your first impression.

B&O expects customers to use the phone for up to four years -- let's hope that opening motor can take the strain. The less-than-slick presentation didn't leave us yearning for the Serene like we did for the the iPod nano after Steve Jobs' pep talk, but chances are B&O fans have already placed their pre-orders. The international jet-setters can get hold of the phone on 9 October in Paris, or you can find it in B&O stores and high-end Samsung mobile stockists from November. The Louis Vuitton carry case is sold separately. -GC