Sam sung and Bang & Olufsen now introduce Serenata, the new music mobile phone that combines superb sound quality with the convenience of a mobile phone, all nicely tucked in the palm of your hand. Serenata is a music mobile phone focusing on sound quality and at the same time on bringing a more sophisticated lifestyle to the customers. To own Serenata is to enjoy the best possible music experience while you are on the move. Bang & Olufsen’s expertise in concept development, user interface experience, acoustic sound capabilities and design skills together with Samsung’s leadership in mobile phone technology, engineering and quality have realized a new way of combining unique music and mobile experiences for consumers. “Since we started our first co-operation with Bang & Olufsen, we have only been confirmed in our belief that both companies share a passion for innovation and consumer-focused technology. Serenata is another example of new ways to think of the mobile phone.

I’m proud to say that our customers can see a true innovation of music player and mobile phone as we have opened a new era of mobile phones with Serene two years ago”, says Gee sung Choi, President of the Telecommunications Network Business in Sam sung Electronics.”We have high expectations to Serenata, as it is a result of our joint vision to constantly push the boundaries, and bring unique and exciting products to our customers”, states Torten Ballegaard Sorensen, CEO of Bang & Olufsen. Acoustic performance dedicated to use Serenata represents an innovative approach to a personal music player. Two companies’ astonish-ing technology and design bring the experience of digital music to quite another level for music fans on the move. Serenata features a built-in stereo speaker system which delivers outstanding sound quality. Equipped with a built-in hi-fi speaker and outstanding bass system, the phone delivers high quality sound without any distortion. With this state-of-art technology, mobile phone users can enjoy various kinds of music from pop and rock to jazz and classic in the same way they would through their hi-fi system at home.

At anytime and any place, you can listen to the opera in a music quality as if you were there yourself through the integrated loudspeaker system or through the dedicated stereo EarSet 3. Combining only top-performing speaker components with ingenious acoustic principles and Bang & Olufsen-patented ICEpower amplification, we get the world’s best acoustic performance. The focus has been to provide uncompromised and totally authentic music performance, with emphasis on playback of “uncompressed” music.

 Besides handling lossless, Serenata also handles playback in various formats, including MP3, WMA, and AAC.As a dedicated music phone, Serenata brings special ring tones for the users who want to have unique and sophisticated sounds designed by Bang & Olufsen. The sound achieved from a triangle, wind chimes, various types of glass and different types of woods will offer beautiful sounds to match any situation.

Technical specifications:

Designer David Lewis
System 3G/GSM R/F band, GSM 900,1800,1900 and HSDPA 2100
Dimensions 63 x 109.5 x 19.7mm
Weight 136 g
Battery capacity 1000 mAh
Talk time Up to 3 h
Standby time Up to 280 h
Display technology TFT-LCD Pixel 240×240 Colour 256k
Size in inches 2.26″
Bluetooth Yes USB Version 2.0 (High Speed)
Browser WAP 2.0, Access NetFront v3.2
Message SMS, MMS, E-Mail (POP3, IMAP4, SMTP, SSL, TLS, OTA E-Mail Settings Configuration)
Memory 4GB + 25MB (1,000 tracks MP3)
Phone book 1,000 contacts
Speaker phone Yes
PureMusic Yes (flight mode)
Offline playback Up to 5 h (speaker) Up to 13 h (headset)
Audio codec MP3, AMR (Voice Tag), AAC, WMA,
WMA Lossless 9.1
DRM OMA DRM, Windows Media DRM
Artificial Bass True bass
Accessories Travel Adapter, Cigarette Lighter Adapter, Car
Holder, Stereo Wired Headset
PC tools PC studio (OS: W2k, XP, Vista)
BeoPlayer (OS: XP)

In many ways as the year that wasn’t for third-generation (3G) mobile services as all but pioneer newcomer 3 postponed launches of their next-generation networks.Instead of fast data services, existing operators turned to enhancements such as camera phones to woo new customers to their GSM and GPRS networks.Even before 3 had launched the first 3G mobile service in the UK, there were already fears that virus writers would turn their fiendish skills to the new technology.Researchers predicted that by 2005, a malicious attack on a next-generation phone would have the potential to infect almost a third of mobile users within just three days.In March, 3 launched what is still the only 3G service in the UK. But, despite the excitement at being able to make video calls, some early users were disappointed by the quality and the short battery life of the first 3G handsets.And critics were concerned that the uptake of 3G services would be slow because of the potentially high cost of subscriptions.

Web browser developer Mozilla, creator of Firefox, has revealed plans to bring its own offering to the mobile table. To date, Mozilla’s foray into the mobile space has been through fairly niche channels. A Mozilla-based browser is already available for the the Nokia N800 and Firefox is a key part of Ubuntu Mobile, part of the Intel Internet Project. Most recently, chip manufacturer ARM has put serious effort towards Firefox on mobile devices.”A large portion of the world accesses the internet from mobile devices, and this will become increasingly true over time,” said Mike Schroepfer, VP of engineering at Mozilla. “Each Firefox install is an individual choice by a person to download something that didn’t ship by default on their computer.

Why not offer that option for mobile devices?”Mozilla reckons the desktop and mobile browsing experiences can be bridged to build a better experience for both. “Wouldn’t it be great if your bookmarks, history, extensions, etc. from Firefox on your computer just worked on your phone?” said Schroepfer. As a result, Mozilla will expand its small team of full time mobile contributors to focus on the technology. The company recently hired Christian Sejersen, the former head of browsers at mobile software firm Openwave, to head up the engineering department.

Mobile broadband subscribers will overtake fixed broadband users in 2011, according to new research from industry analysts. In June, there were already more than 200 commercial mobile broadband networks worldwide with more than 50 million subscribers using hundreds of different devices.

But figures from telecoms.com parent, Informa Telecoms & Media, predict that rapid adoption of mobile broadband will lead it to dominant the connectivity market within four years, when services based on HSPA, EV-DO, WiMAX and other systems will have more subscribers than services based on DSL, cable and FTTH. Overall there will be more than 1 billion broadband subscribers worldwide in 2011, with the majority using mobile rather than fixed systems. “Mobile broadband is already a significant market but will explode in the next five years as networks, devices and services mature and spark mass market adoption,” said Mike Roberts, principal analyst at Informa and author of the report ‘Future Mobile Broadband: Revenue Opportunities for HSPA to LTE, EV-DO to UMB & WiMAX’.Informa’s subscriber and device forecasts in the report predict that HSPA will be the leading mobile broadband system in 2012 by number of subscribers, followed by EV-DO and Mobile WiMAX. EV-DO will have the most subscribers at end-2007 but will be overtaken by HSDPA in 2009. TD-SCDMA will also become a significant force in the mobile broadband market with close to 50 million subscribers in China by 2012.”Mobile WiMAX will be the leading next generation system based on OFDMA and MIMO in 2012 given its two year head start in the market, but LTE will overtake it in the long run due to the huge installed base of WCDMA/HSPA operators that plan to deploy LTE,” Roberts said.

Web giant Google said Tuesday that it has snapped up Jaiku, a Helsinki-based presence sharing service, creating further inroads into the mobile space. Jaiku, founded by Finns Jyri Engestrom and Petteri Koponen in 2006, is a micro social network, much like Twitter. Users have options to update their status and location and broadcast this info to the rest of the community. Naturally, the service works on mobiles as well as the web, potentially giving some clues as to why Google is interested in the platform.

On a Symbian S60 handset, Jaiku Mobile integrates with the address book, allowing the user to view the latest Jaiku status updates and presence of their friends direct from the contact list. Jaiku users can not just share their availability but also their location and calendar, which obviously gives opportunity for integration with Google services and could also give Google a hook into the location based advertising space.

The failure of Apple and Orange to officially announce an iPhone partnership in France has been something of a curiosity for the past couple of weeks. The respective announcements from O2 UK and T-Mobile Germany came out as and when predicted, but the lack of something official from Orange France has raised a few eyebrows, particularly as Apple Expo in Paris has just been and gone.

Now reports in local newspapers on Friday suggest that Orange and Apple are still working out differences of opinion over the deal. This could be something to do with the operator kickback on iPhone service revenues, estimated to be anything between 20 and 40 per cent. Or, it could be that some intricacies of French law prohibit Orange from selling the phone exclusively.

Whatever the case, it looks less and less likely that France will get the iPhone in time for the Christmas rush. If relations don’t improve, there’s also the outside chance that Orange might not introduce the iPhone at all.

UK mobile operator O2 confirmed the details of its forthcoming fixed line broadband package on Thursday, citing a launch date of October 15. O2 intends to target the large proportion of UK consumers that are dissatisfied with their existing broadband service. One of the main complaints UK broadband subs have is lower than advertised speeds. “O2 Broadband comes with the simple promise to make broadband better, by addressing the frustrations that have created dissatisfaction and creating an overall service quality that sets a new standard in the market,” the company said.

As revealed by telecoms.com on Wednesday, three discounted price plans will be available for O2 Pay Monthly customers starting with the Standard package at £7.50 per month for up for 8Mbps; the Premium package at £10 per month for up to 16Mbps; and the Ultimate package at £15 per month for speeds of up to 20Mbps. All package included ‘unlimited usage’ but a fair usage policy applies.O2 prepay users and non-O2 customers will pay an additional £10 per month on each of the available packages.

Along with a plug and play wireless router, O2 is dipping its toe in to the convergence pool by allowing emails sent to your O2 account to be forwarded to your phone and address book synchronisation between the PC and mobile. Subscribers also get 100 free texts a month, which can be sent from a PC.

Ericsson today announced the launch of infrastructure and device platforms for WCDMA/HSPA in the 2.6GHz frequency band. The move is triggered by strong market interest and supports the growth of mobile broadband worldwide.The launch of HSPA products for the 2.6GHz frequency band provides an immediate and secure choice for operators planning to offer mobile broadband services in this band.

The initiative also follows increased interest from mobile device manufacturers in launching HSPA devices for the 2.6GHz band. In turn, Ericsson is adding 2.6GHz support to its successful family of WCDMA/HSPA device platforms and mobile broadband modules for use in notebook computers.

New licenses for the 2.6GHz frequency band are now becoming available globally and Ericsson’s HSPA solution for the 2.6GHz frequency band supports opportunities for operators to create new markets. The deployment of HSPA on the 2.6GHz frequency band also stimulates current HSPA operators to further grow their existing mobile broadband business into new frequency bands, as it allows them to leverage existing infrastructure, providing greater cost efficiency, and supports a wider range of end-user devices.Ulf Ewaldsson, Vice President and Head of Product Area Radio at Ericsson, says: “The launch of HSPA products for the 2.6GHz frequency band supports Ericsson’s ambition to bring mobile broadband everywhere, at any time, from any device to as many people as possible.”HSPA is a proven technology and the leading industry standard.

It is already deployed in several frequency bands - including 850, 1700, 1800, 1900 and 2100MHz - and deployment in the 900MHz frequency band will start soon. Support in the 2.6GHz frequency band brings the economies of scale of HSPA also to operators with 2.6GHz licenses and their end users.”

Sony Ericsson announced an exclusive colour range with Vodafone that combines both companies’ expertise in mobile music with a unique new style, labelled the Havana collection and finished in a stand-out Havana colour.The chic family of mobile phones and accessories unveiled today by Sony Ericsson and Vodafone sets out to combine music with fashion. The new collection comprises exclusive colour variants of the popular W880i and W910i Walkman® phones, plus a colour-matched music accessory, the Portable Speakers MPS-70. The final addition to the collection is the Sony Ericsson V640i, a music-enabled phone available exclusively to Vodafone customers in selected markets*.

W880i Walkman® phone in Havana colour
The Sony Ericsson W880i Walkman® phone has become a style ‘must-have’ since its launch in early 2007. As Sony Ericsson’s slimmest phone to date at just 9.4mm thin, the W880i fits neatly into a handbag or pocket; not that you will want to keep it there with the stunning new Havana colour. Still able to store up to 900 full-length tracks on the 1GB Memory Stick Micro™ - that’s around 75 albums – this exclusive colour refresh adds further desirability to an already feature-packed phone.

W910i Walkman® phone in Havana Bronze
The new W910i is a 3G broadband (HSDPA) Walkman phone that is designed for entertainment; whether music, 3D games, video, or high-speed Web access. It is geared to let you choose your music, your way. Select Shake control and just flick the phone to control games or skip and shuffle between tracks. Or opt for SensMe™ and discover music to match your mood and tempo. The W910i is the ideal mobile music companion, and with the addition of the exclusive Havana treatment it is ideal for Vodafone customers who are looking for a great Walkman® phone with added style.

Sony Ericsson V640i in Havana Gold
The Havana collection is further extended by the launch of the Sony Ericsson V640i, exclusively available to Vodafone customers. The V640i is a music-enabled phone that offers high-speed 3G broadband (HSDPA) performance. As with the W910i Walkman® phone, the V640i offers Media Manager software***, making it straightforward to transfer music, photos, videos and more from PC to phone and vice versa All of the phones in the Havana collection let you download music directly from Vodafone’s Music Store, either via 3G or high speed 3G broadband (HSDPA). With the V640i it takes around 14 seconds to download a full-length music track**.

The three mobile phones also feature Sony Ericsson’s exclusive TrackID™ music recognition software, which lets you identify a music track played from an external music source and receive a notification back within seconds of the artist name, song title and album. Once you have identified it, you can then download the full-track from Vodafone’s Music Store.

Orange unveiled its line up of exclusive mobile handsets available for Christmas 2007. New must-have devices in popular shades of pink, autumn/winter 07’s hottest colour, purple, sleek classic red, as well as stylish and traditional black and silver, mean that there is a handset to everyone’s taste in Orange’s Christmas range.

The new line up of exclusive handsets available to Pay As You Go and Pay Monthly customers from Orange stores and online via Orange.co.uk, includes a great selection from major brands Sony Ericsson, Samsung and LG, as well as the first device released from Orange’s own label handsets ‘Berlin’.

The most varied ever range, priced from £49.99 to 199.99 (for PAYG customers) not only includes a number of exclusive pink devices but other carefully selected phones in sophisticated hues with unisex appeal. Exclusive to Orange, the red Sony Ericsson W910i Walkman phone is hotly tipped to be a Christmas best seller - attractive to both men and women looking for a high spec device with stylish good looks. It is made for entertainment, perfect for music, video, web access and 3D games and includes SensMe™ so you can select music by your mood. Following on from the success of the LG Shine handset, the limited edition Pink Shine launches exclusively on Orange. The Shine’s mirrored finish and brushed metal body perfectly combine style and function, making this a handset sure to appeal to the 85% of young women out there who want a pink handset for Christmas*. Also available in pink, exclusively from Orange are the Samsung F210, Sony Ericsson W580i and Sony Ericsson W200i. For the more serious follower of fashion, Orange is offering the Samsung U600 in purple.

Influenced by the autumn and winter designer collections, this sleek mobile phone in this season’s hottest colour comes with a 3.2 Mega pixel camera and a high quality 262K colour screen. At only 11mm thin, it is the latest model from the Ultra Edition II range. Named after one of the coolest cities in the World, the Christmas line up also includes ‘Berlin’ from Orange. The Orange ‘Berlin’ offers real value for money for the younger customer wanting a high spec device by combining the full feature set of 3G, 2 MP camera, MP3 player and Bluetooth. Francois Mahieu, Device Director, Orange UK said: “Colour and fashion handsets have been growing in popularity for a while now and this Christmas demand will be very high. Based on last year’s sales we predict that a quarter of all handsets sold in this period will be colour variants. People want choice, so we have secured exclusivity with top brands as well as launching our own label dLondon – 10th September 2007: Today Orange unveils its line up of exclusive mobile handsets available for Christmas 2007.

New must-have devices in popular shades of pink, autumn/winter 07’s hottest colour, purple, sleek classic red, as well as stylish and traditional black and silver, mean that there is a handset to everyone’s taste in Orange’s Christmas range.