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Hit by hard times?  Financial markets got you worried about dropping bucks on a shiny new phone?  LG feels your pain and wants to reach out to all those folks who want the sexy touchscreen-type phone with the aptly named KP500.  KP as in “Kitchen Pass,” as in you won’t need to check with your significant other to buy it thanks to its super low retail price.  Unfortunately, I suspect LG did not name it the KP for that reason.

To find out why this phone is a big deal, hit the “more” link below.

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LG, like Apple, is slowly taking its time in delivering the second iteration of their super-duper touchscreen phone, the LG Prada. Yes, you read that right, there will be a follow-up to the original “iPhone killer,” and I’m sure you will appreciate some of its newfound features. It retains the original soap bar form factor, of course, although this time it’s touted to possess a slide-out QWERTY keyboard. Other goodies include a 3-inch touchscreen, HSDPA network support, Wi-Fi, dual cameras (with the main one being 5-megapixel strong), FM radio and support for up to 8GB of expandable memory. Full HTML browsing is provided by an unspecified browser, and you can let it talk to your computer via Bluetooth or USB 2.0. Is LG going to release it this year? The short answer: yes. The long answer: yes, by the last quarter of 2008. Which by then we would have all probably become zombies under the command of Steve Jobs and his unstoppable 3G iPhone minions.

Read [ePrice]

Well, thanks to T3, the UK gadget blog that likes showcasing half-naked women with it’s gear (don’t worry, we don’t mind), got a peek at the sexy unboxing of the LG Prada phone. The Prada is LG’s iPhone contender with many similar features to that of the iPhone including its sleek and stylish exterior, as well as the popular touch-screen functionality.

The Prada phone was declared vaporware by some, but the above video proves that wrong. The phone’s style is amazing, and definitely a contender to the iPhone. I’m looking forward to this phone as I don’t know how long it will be until the iPhone is released in Canada, and one of the main features I was looking forward to was the touch screen. I can live without a 4/8GB iPod built into my phone for now.

The Prada phone will retail for around $800 and, in my opinion, is the only worthy touch-screen phone until the iPhone is released.

Read [T3] via [Gizmodo]

As you can imagine, LG is getting quite a few iPhone-related questions from the press.  The new LG Prada phone was released in the shaddows of Apple’s iPhone in January, and to this point, it’s unclear who copied whom - or if there was any copying at all.  LG’s Head of Mobile Handset R&D, Woo-Young Kwak must have gotten fed up with the press asking these copied-the-iPhone-related questions and gave them a fact to chew on.

We consider that Apple copycat Prada phone after the design was unveiled when it was presented in the iF Design Award and won the prize in September 2006.

At this point in time, there hasn’t been any statement from Apple regarding the LG Prada phone, but I’m sure they’ll handle this issue under the radar.

Read [Telecoms Korea] Via [Textually]

If you’re as into labels as we are, then you’ll be excited to hear that LG and Prada have teamed up for a new mobile phone, the KE850.  Back in December, there were rumors, but nothing definitive at that time.  Now, LG and Prada have officially announced the device.  It actually looks very similar to Apple’s long-awaited iPhone that was announced at this year’s Macworld.  In fact, LG is currently fighting a legal battle with Apple over the originality of the iPhone.

The KE850 is a 12mm thick slim-phone with GSM/EDGE connectivity, a touch-screen, a 2 megapixel camera with flash, microSD card slot, and support for some of your favorite audio formats: MP3, ACC, ACC+, WMA, and RA.  It also supports MPEG4, H.263, and H.264 video formats.  Chris over at SlashPhone mentions that the battery life may not even last you a whole day.  If that’s the case, the phone may be quite a disappointment.

Read [LG Prada] Via [MyiPhone]

As we mentioned a few days ago, LG and Prada are teaming up for a new expensive stylish mobile phone.  News of the LG KE850 was recently released, but nobody thought the stories were related.  Now, Gizmodo is reporting the LG Prada phone rumored last week is actually a repackaged KE850.  As you can see in the pictures above, the phone will sport the Prada name prominantly and likely a Prada branded interface as well.  The phone hits Europe in spring 2007, but no word yet on a U.S. release.  It also looks like the handset will be priced around $400 or $500.

Read [Dial-a-phone]

“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to [insert annual fashion event here]. Today, on the runway, we will be presenting the latest gadgets and cool items draped in designer wear. From Louis Vuitton to Prada, from Chanel to Gucci, we present to you the biggest fashion event of the year!”

Can you imagine a future where the glamorous fashion industry shifts the attention from clothing human beings to clothing gadgets? It might just be a reality with the way devices from notebooks to cell phones are starting to get designed by or made from brand-name materials. Take these for example: the Acer Ferrari, Asus Lamborghini, D&G Gold Razr, and coming up, an LG phone by Prada.

I4U: The Prada cell phone is supposed to be a combination of high-end technology and avant-garde design - not just a simple paint job.  The Prada phone is supposed to have no keys, just a touch screen.  The launch of the Prada mobile phone is planned for early 2007. Italy is first.

The next fashion event might not show scantily clad Victoria Secret models anymore, it might just be a cell phone or digital camera coated with diamonds, branded as a Gucci model, being paraded down the runway by some artificial humanoid robot wearing Chanel imitation skin (well, maybe scantily clad female humanoid robots).

Read [I4U]