One doesn't need look hard look at Apple's iPhone to see the
similarities between it and LG's Prada (KE850), but now the momentous
whispers have finally gotten to the head of LG Mobile Handset R&D Center, and it's on. While Apple fights its meager battles with
trademarks, and we're left to wonder just
how much loot Jobs and friends stand to make off this thing, Woo-Young Kwak has reportedly dubbed the iPhone an outright "copycat" of the device that won the International Forum Design Product Design Award. Of course, there are those out there trying to maintain the peace, as Mr. Kang-Heui Cha, Senior Manager of MC Design Research Lab, has stated that LG's handset "focused on interfaces," while Cupertino's pride and joy "emphasized a music phone concept" -- but even that seems like a weak argument at best. But hey, Steve's already
voiced his opinion on the highly controversial "to DRM or not to DRM" issue, so we
expect hope a rebuttal is already in the works, as this one's got the makings of a real catfight. [Warning: Read link requires subscription]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
kemetu amana @ Feb 14th 2007 1:44PM
LG can claim Apple is copying them all they want but since they use the severely limited flash interface compared to OSX on the IP phone I would have to assess their phone as over priced and under featured in the medium to long run.
Jake @ Feb 14th 2007 6:08PM
This is crazy. Doesn't LG need to thank Apple for given it street by knocking off the ipod nano in looks and calling it a chocolate? I actually has a friend see this phone and thought that the iPhone was already out. Give me a break, Apple has been talking about touchscreen for a while now.
Jake @ Feb 14th 2007 6:09PM
No more comments? Is the iPhone officially dead?
Tom @ Feb 14th 2007 11:24PM
http://blog.wired.com/gadgets/2007/02/lg_exec_says_ap.html
Interesting how that link mentions the oh so important detail that LG had been showing off their phone design since Sept. of 2006 while engadget here fails to mention this.
Chuck @ Feb 15th 2007 12:47PM
Jake, Apple has been talking about a touchscreen for awhile now? Really? I thought they didn't talk at all. I'm not saying Apple copied the touch screen from LG, but, um, I don't know. I have no idea what your statement was about. I'm baffled.
And the iphone isn't even out yet, so it can't 'officially' be dead.
john @ Feb 15th 2007 4:26PM
FIRST OF YES THE FIRST GENERATION PRADA DOES HAVE LIMITED SOFTWARE SPECS. BUT FOR THE SECOND GENERATION THEY ARE TO RUN WINDOWS MOBILE 2006. AND NO APPLE HAS NOT BEEN TALKING TOUCH SCREEN IT IS INDEED APPLE FANS THAT WERE SPECULATING. APPLE NEVER CONFIRMED OR DENIED BEING IN THE PROCESS OF MAKING A TOUCHSCREEN LET ALONE A IPHONE AT ALL. LG WAS INDEED THE FIRST TO PRODUCE A FULL TOUCH SCREEN PHONE. GIVEN THE FACT THAT IT IS THE FIRST IT HAS PROBALY BEEN IN THE WORKS THE LONGEST.