LG prepping Black Label iPhone challenger, more
updated 11:10 am EDT, Thu July 2, 2009
LG Black Label vs iPhone
LG is developing a new designer phone that would specifically target the iPhone, the company's wireless chief Ahn Seung-kwon told Korea's Yonhap today. Only providing a teaser, he says the future device would ship in the fall and come within Black Label series that has so far been reserved for LG's best non-smartphones, such as the Arena and Viewty.
It has also enjoyed continued success with its Prada touchscreen phones and is planning a third model as well as a new luxury brand not unlike Nokia's Vertu.
Ahn also reiterated LG's goal to become second place by 2012, moving up just one place in cellphone market share but a significant number of units. The strategy is known to involve a greater number of smartphones, which have historically been LG's weak point even as it remains one of the largest touchscreen phone producers. A combination of Android and Windows Mobile is believed to play an important role. [via Unwired View]
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Joined: Oct 1999
Scraps
I'm really glad to see all these companies pushing themselves to try and meet the challenge the iPhone presents. But, Apple has always pushed the envelope - certainly, the iPhone was in itself a market redefining device, not just another addition to the same old same old - so I guess the best that can be said is that other offerings in this iPhone following market is that new and different idea can continue to evolve ie the WebOS Palm has developed is a different angle.
But, it occurs to me that all of these phones have a similar sound. This is exactly what happened with the iPod. Apple dominated the market and then there was what was left. That part of the market that was people who didn't want Apple products (as in hate Apple), always shop something cheaper, or simply didn't do their homework. For the iPhone it's pretty much the same thing with the addition of simply not wanting to switch from their service provider or not able to. This leads to (as in the case of the iPod) a smaller, yet profitable market (as was pointed out by (I think Samsung's or Creative's CEO)). The iPhone 'killers' aren't even close, they are all just jockeying for what's left - of those that can't or won't. Love Apple or hate it, you can't (honestly) deny that Apple has (once again) completely changed the industry.