Samsung Serenata Challenges iPhone

The Serenata's 4GB of storage might be the least impressive thing about it, given the array of off-beat luxury features packed inside by Samsung's partner Bang & Olufsen.

Move over, iPhone. There’s a new high-capacity media phone in town and it's… downright ridiculous. Samsung and Danish design firm Bang & Olufsen revealed their latest collaboration on Tuesday, the Serenata phone. Featuring B&O’s trademark over-the-top design, 4GB of storage and a 2.26-inch LCD screen, the Sereneta might not quite be ready to oust Apple in the technical arena, but as a status symbol, it certainly stands a chance.



The Serenata distinguishes itself from similar devices in a number of ways. For one, it’s not all touch screen. A giant scroll wheel with a center selection button dominates the upper half of the unit. Everything the player does, from music selection to text messaging, can be controlled with the wheel or the integrated touch screen.

In a more significant departure, the Serenata actually has a built-in speaker system. A panel on the back of the unit folds out, allowing it to be propped up, and the front and back of the phone slide apart as they would in a traditional slider phone, revealing two integrated speakers. No word yet on sound quality, but the companies promise rich bass and zero distortion, despite the tiny size of the speakers.

Bang & Olufsen also include some unique features tailored to the busy executive, like its PureMusic mode that cuts off phone calls and text messages to allow a user to relax and listen to music without disruptions. And forget pop-music ringtones, all of the built-in ringtones on the Serenata derive their names from the materials that make them – like steel for wind chimes, aluminum for a triangle, and various woods represented by the sounds they make when hollow.

The phone’s price hasn’t yet been announced, but given Bang & Olufsen’s traditional premiums, it should be just as extravagant as the rest of the phone. The phones are scheduled for a European release by the end of October, a spokesperson told PC World.

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Samsung Announces 5 Megapixel Slider, the SGH-G800

Samsung today introduced the SGH-G800, a new photography-centric slider. The G800 sports a 5 megapixel auto-focus camera and Xenon flash, similar to other high end camera phones. However the G800 also adds 3x optical zoom, face detection and wide dynamic range (WDR) to its photographic abilities. It also features Bluetooth and a microSD slot.



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Samsung i780 smartphone has GPS

Samsung seems to be working a little in reverse with its upcoming SGH-i780 Windows Mobile 6 handset, showing it first at GITEX, then providing shots to media a couple weeks later -- all without an official press release or announcement. Fortunately, we have pretty much all the information we want about it at this point, save for one key detail: will it come to AT&T as the rumored BlackJack 2?

Unlike the original BlackJack, the i780 runs the touchscreen-driven Professional variant of Windows Mobile, features an "optical mouse" on the d-pad that provides the user with an actual on-screen pointer, and features integrated WiFi and GPS. If we were the wagering sort, we'd guess that an AT&T variant of this sucker would lose the WiFi and trade Euro HSDPA radio hardware for its North American equivalent, but with integrated GPS, it still seems like it could be a worthwhile upgrade. Sweden apparently expects it in early 2008, though there's no official word on launches elsewhere just yet.



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Samsung U900 coming to Verizon as the Flipshot

Samsung’s U900 Ultra Edition phone will be rechristened the Flipshot when it arrives in the US through Verizon, according to leaked details provided by Mobiledia. The device has had most of its American specifications revealed and will earn its name through its swiveling display: twisting the LCD horizontally helps turn the phone into an impromptu 3-megapixel camera or camcorder with a photo-friendly landscape view. An onboard flash and image editing software produce better-looking shots before they reach a computer or are sent to a friend.

In spite of its photography focus, the Flipshot will also have at least a partial focus on music, with MP3 support and a microSD slot to store both music and photos. EVDO Internet access and assisted GPS using Verizon’s VZ Navigator are also confirmed, the report says. Verizon has not solidified a release date for the Samsung flip phone but is known to be readying a release before the end of the year.



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