We have already featured a number of concept devices inspired by luxury brands on Concept Sunday. Bang & Olufsen, the Danish company best known for its high-end audio and video products, has like many other companies struggled to adjust in recent years to shifting consumer tastes. Could a high-end smartwatch allow the company to expand its reach into the high-end electronics space? Liam Carter-Hawkins explored this question with his Bang & Olufsen Smartwatch concept.
As befifts a Bang & Olufsen product, the smartwatch sports a distinctive look. It sports a round touchscreen display with a single button at the 2 o’clock mark highlighted with a bright green stripe. The case uses contrasting materials for the bezel and bottom of the case to evoke the “traditional Bang & Olufsen DNA.” It also incorporates some speakers for music and call playback.
The Bang & Olufsen Smartwatch appears to be powered by its own proprietary operating system. The Home screen displays the time, date and weather. Other screens can be swiped through quickly to reveal commonly used apps. Apps are arranged in a circular fashion (an idea inspired by the Samsung Gear S2 perhaps?) and can be launched with a simple tap.
There is little information provided about the Bang & Olufsen Smartwatch’s specifications unfortunately. It’s not even clear if it would come in different colours and materials.
It’s not immediately clear how a Bang & Olufsen smartwatch fit in with the company’s audio and video products. Offering remote control capabilities might be useful but developing apps for the Apple Watch and range of Android Wear smartwatches instead would likely be a better approach. If it does decide to enter the smartwatch space, perhaps it would be better off to partner with Apple or Google has other high-end brands have done rather than trying to build up its own app ecosystem.
One thing is sure: Should Bang & Olufsen one day offer a smartwatch, it will likely generate the same envious conversations as other Bang & Olufsen products cause.
Source : Behance