“LG Electronics has unveiled the fruits of a mobile phone design partnership with Italian fashion goods maker Prada,” Martyn Williams reports for Macworld UK.
“The front face of the LG-KE850 phone is dominated by a large touch-screen display and little else, which at first glance means it looks a lot like Apple’s recently announced iPhone,” Williams reports. “A comparison of the tech-specs reveals that the Apple product is superior in several areas, including screen resolution, data networking ability and internal memory… The phone is a tri-band GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) model (900/1800/1900MHz) with support for EDGE data transmission.”
“It will go on sale first in late February through Prada shops in the UK, France, Germany and Italy. It will cost around €600 [US$777]. In March it will begin appearing in stores in Asia including Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore, said LG. A version for the Korean market is due out in the second quarter,” Williams reports. “LG has no plans to put it on sale in the US, said Judy Pae, a spokeswoman for the company in Seoul.”
Full article here.
Wait a second, according to Microsoft’s genius CEO Steve Ballmer, Apple was going to have the most expensive keyboard-less phone by far ever in the marketplace?
[Please suspend belief and forget about all of the other so-called “smartphones” that were released at higher prices than Apple’s iPhone which, of course, has a keyboard.]
Now LG goes and screws it all up for Microsoft’s genius CEO Steve Ballmer.
Now the big decision: Should we go with a user interface for an electronic device developed by Apple or one developed by LG/Prada? What a conundrum! We’ll tackle that one right after we decide whether to get a 4×4 developed by Jeep or one developed by Yugo/Prada.
Apple’s iPhone user interface “is the result of years of research and development” and “boy, have we patented it.” – Apple CEO Steve Jobs, January 09, 2007
Related article:
LG undecided about lawsuit against iPhone over similarities to LG’s Prada phone – January 16, 2007
Video of how Apple’s rumored touch-screen Tablet Mac could work – February 13, 2006
Touch screens are not new.
This has been the logical evolution of phones.
Apple does it better because it has more to offer in the way of software, design, etc, etc..
ccap1,
Actually, LG unveiled their phone first on December 19,2006. Several weeks before Apple unveiled iPhone on January 9, 2007.
http://www.gizmodo.com/gadgets/cellphones/first-pictures-of-the-lg-prada-phone-222990.php
I could be wrong but I am pretty sure the Prada UI was designed by Microsoft. Maybe not though. The numbers on the dial pad do go from left to right. Microsoft’s copies do tend to be bass ackwards.
The Devil may wear Prada, but I pretty sure he uses Microsoft!
How many ways are there to draw a numeric keypad on a touch screen? Like a microwave oven?
I heard that trademarks are hard to enforce if there is only really one way to perform a function. The movie showing the navigation on the LG shows it is entirely different.
Would Microsoft employ Ballmer if he applied for a management job today?
The reaction of Microsofties show exactly why the iPod has remained king of the hill for so long. Remember what Bill Gates said after the first bubble iMacs came out? “Oh yeah,” he said sarcastically, “it’s so hard to do colors.”
Yep. To people like Gates, the iMacs were all about superficial colors. The iPod was also just about superficial fashion. Macs are also so superficial because they are just pretty, toy computers (this attitude is captured so subtly by John Hodgman in the Mac-PC TV ads).
And so we see the same kind of superficial analysis of the Apple iPhone. “Oh, they look similar so it must be exactly the SAME!” Idiots.
You could probably wrap a Model T in a Lexus frame and sell these people a “genuine certified Lexus” because oh yeah, looking the same means performing the same (not).
Capt. Obvious
You got a point there.
but
The headline you took issue with states LG unveils, not gizmodo or prada or anyone else so
officially you are not correct, as LG unveiled yesterday.
So even though you are factually correct in some case your post is still off a bit I think, logically.
I have an LG dehumidifier in my basement. I might also have some other LG appliances too.. none of them are computers… just suck water out of the air.. or cool my food.
With over 200 patents by Apple for the iPhone, LG should’ve infringed on a few, right?
Not counting diamond-studded, gold-encrusted, “bling bling” vanity phones, I think the most expensive cell phone right now is the Bang & Olufsen Serene phone by Samsung at $1,300. http://www.serenemobile.com/
When will the articles start with the “iPhone killer”. Every body and his momma will be coming out with an “iPhone killer” sold at WalMart, KMart and QuickieMart.
Let the buyer beware!
MDM magic work = cold as in “Cold blooded POS copying”
“LG has no plans to put it on sale in the US, said Judy Pae, a spokeswoman for the company in Seoul.”
—
That tells you what you need to know. The LG Prada Crappolla phone violates Apple’s patents in the US.
Besides, with it’s $800 price point, it will fade into oblivion in no time.
Now, wait a minute. I just celebrated the first anniversary with my JEEP Grand Cherokee and now I find out there is going to be a 4X4 Yugo Prada?(The Yada?)
Y’all ain’t just messin with me, are ya? I know most Yugos aren’t even one wheel drive (I think that was the Pravda model) but this one will surely have leather that has been cleaned and tanned this time. And hopefully they won’t use as much plastic. It’s not so bad on the dash but I prefer a metal frame…
And just think, when you drive around and see broke down vehicles, you’ll be like “Yada, Yada, Yada”
Matter of fact, maybe that’s what LG ought to name their phone! The Prada Yada!!!
“A patent in the hand is worth two in the nuts.”
— Rasterbator
Again MacDailyNews is the biggest Apple Fanboy site in the world! Of course Apple can do nothing wrong and everyone else sucks! They slam Prada and LG? Prada being one of the most highest quality fashion design company in the world. How about some honest fair shake at things instead of being ultra biased! I love Macs and have been using them for many years but the relentless Apple fanboy commentary makes me puke.
@http
I’d be happy if it just made you leave.
‘One of the most highest quality?’ Yeah. Windows users are smarter.
Look… Here comes Apple’s legal department!
To Grammar Troll Hey dumbass can’t you read I’m a Mac user!!! I guess you have no idea what the company Prada is, do a wiki search and get informed you ignorant bastard!
To outie no thanks I’ll stick around.
Love pissing off the Fanboys! YEAH!! I do love Macs and use OSX, I have three Macs and 4 ipods. But I’m not a Fanboy! I look at different products without bias. Yes I do think Macs are better than PC’s but I’m not willing to worship Stevie J like all you Fanboys! He’s a thief just like Bill Gates and all those greedy white collar bastards that are robbing the average consumer! GREED PEOPLE!
I hear ya, http
I can’t wait till those white collar bastards at Prada rob my average ass to the tune of a new Prada Yada! Viva the Neverlution!!!
Diddo! No one is an exception!
LG won’t even support the Macintosh. Like we don’t exist, I guess we gotta show them too!!!
s there a difference between ‘touch screen’ and “multi-touch screen” that the iPhone has? (which Steve wittered on about how they are protecting all the patents)
Please smart people; answer that question like you know what you are talking about.
Yes.
Next Question.
Here is the most expensive cell phone (and it doesn’t have a keyboard):
http://www.marketnews.ca/news_detail.asp?nid=2270
http://www.bang-olufsen.com/page.asp?id=54
I saw a video on YouTube (
) of some french guy demonstrating the Prada phone and it’s similarities to the iPhone. Notice how the iPhone uses contacts compared to the Prada phone, it’s much more advanced and refined at the same time. Notice the lag when he presses buttons. The audio player in the Prada phone is not even in the same league as the iPhone. The list view only seems to display 3 songs at once (?!?) and there is no cover art or Cover Flow of course. Where is the scrolling? Safari? Multi-Touch zooming (the pinch)?
The people claiming the Prada phone is so similar to the iPhone can’t see the forest for the trees. While the two phones are superficially similar, the actual user experience is much easier and more advanced with the iPhone.