South Korean handset maker, LG Electronics,
announced the pending availability of its very own
highend music phone last week, triggering
speculation that it will be a major competitor to
the muchhyped Apple iPhone.Like the iPhone, LG’s
PRADA handset (designed by the luxury fashion
company of that name) will feature an advanced
touchscreen interface, 2megapixel digital camera,
and microSD card slot for expended storage.
The LG KE850 (PRADA) cell phone is set to launch
by the end of next month in the UK, France, Germany,
and Italy, with a starting price tag of around €600.
Although this GSM/EDGbased handset won’t see
immediate competition with Apple (its initial launch
will be in Europe while the iPhone’s is in the
U.S.), the two will almost certainly end up head to
head within the next year or so. And if these phones
are a success, it’s a pretty safe bet that the other
big handset makers will be rolling out their own
similar models in a matter of months…
Apple will need to engage in some pretty heavy
promotion if it hopes to tap its extensive iPod user
base before the competition does the same.