Verizon to offer LG Prada

Eli Dickinson


Verizon to pick up Prada phone
Verizon is taking a pre-emptive strike at the media blitz that is sure to accompany the launch of Apple's iPhone on AT&T. According to The Street, Verizon has picked up the LG KE 850, an iPhone-like touch screen phone better known as the Prada.

This is a smart move for Verizon. Sure, AT&T has Apple's considerable marketing machine behind the iPhone, but how many Verizon customers are really ready to jump ship and switch carriers when Verizon has a 12mm thick touchscreen phone available for about the same price?

To be clear: the Prada is not an iPhone copycat--both phones were in development at the same time and LG unveiled the Prada well before the iPhone's launch. Actually, one of the Prada's best assets is that it's available now in the U.K. and has reportedly been selling well. Meanwhile, very few people have actually had a chance to try out the iPhone.

See also: FierceWireless' coverage of the LG Prada announcement at 3GSM and this video review of the Prada.

Speaking of the iPhone

The Seattle Times sat down with AT&T's Glenn Lurie to talk about the iPhone. The full article is worth a read, particularly Lurie's justification for the iPhone's price tag: "There are other things--you have the widgets, some of the Google applications that are coming--there are just so many things here that the price will not be an issue."  Engadget has interpreted this statement to mean that the iPhone may be getting more than just GMaps (perhaps a GMail application?). Unfortunately, there still isn't much good news for third-party mobile developers. -Eli

p.s. FierceMarkets will be publishing a Show Daily at the BREW 2007, June 21-22. If you've got BREW news you would like to see covered, send it to Sue Marek.