2007-06-22

LG Prada Is Apple iPhone Killer?

One clear indicator of the fact the iPhone is going to do very well is the fact that Apple’s rivals are already starting to push ‘iPhone killers.’ Much like in the case of the iPod, which five years later and countless devices down the line has not been bested, these iPhone killers are nothing of the sort. The LG Prada is considered an iPone killer, mainly because it also features a full side touch sensitive display, but the similarities are only skin deep.

Reviews comparing the two products, such as the recent one written by Brian Lam for Gizmodo, finds the iPhone competitor sub par. Not only is the touch screen interface not used to its full potential, but the menu system is not made to take advantage of it, being very similar to those on the other high end LG phones. Furthermore, the Prada’s sync is rudimentary, only allowing you to transfer contacts and calendar appointments, and it lacks many of the useful features of the iPhone such as coverflow, weather and stocks widgets, as well as iTunes integration. Even in terms of internal memory and screen size, the iPhone is the clear winner, although it is slightly larger.

Like the iPod, when it first came out, the price of the iPhone is the most common complaint about it, and the main reason people are not adding it to their shopping lists. Amusingly enough, the LG Prada actually costs more than the iPhone, and significantly so. But even if the Prada shaved off nearly a quarter of its price to cost as much as the 8GB iPhone, it wouldn’t matter, because the iPhone is simply a better device.

If the old iPod killers were any indication, the new iPhone killers will crash and burn, simply because they cannot compete with the iPhone as a whole, not only in terms of features, but also in terms of user experience.




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