LG Prada
A minimalist touchscreen mobile-phone series developed by LG Electronics in collaboration with the Italian luxury fashion house Prada.
Last updated August 22, 2026
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Overview
LG Prada was a co-branded mobile-phone line created by LG Electronics and Prada. Its first model, the KE850, was announced in December 2006 and formally introduced in January 2007, placing it among the earliest commercially prominent touchscreen phones built around a capacitive display rather than a stylus-operated resistive panel. The product combined LG’s mobile-device engineering with Prada’s visual language: a restrained black exterior, a flat glass-covered front, sparse branding, and a monochromatic user interface designed to resemble the fashion house’s minimalist aesthetic. The KE850 emerged from LG’s effort to extend the design success of its Chocolate phone into a more premium and fashion-oriented category. Its industrial design was credited to LG designer Kang-Heui Cha, while Prada’s contribution shaped the phone’s appearance, interface treatment, preloaded content, and overall luxury positioning. The device used a touchscreen interface based on Flash and included Prada-influenced ringtones and other content. It also offered practical smartphone-era functions such as Bluetooth connectivity, a MicroSD card slot, PDF and Microsoft Office document viewing, and several built-in games. The South Korean version additionally incorporated a digital multimedia broadcasting television receiver. The first model was released in March 2007 in the United Kingdom, France, and Italy at a retail price of €599, followed by launches in additional European and Asian markets. The product was not released in the Americas. A silver version appeared in January 2008 and replaced the original T9-oriented text-entry arrangement with a virtual QWERTY keyboard. According to the cited reference material, the original model sold one million units during its first 18 months, giving the collaboration a significant impact relative to the size of the premium fashion-phone segment. LG Prada attracted attention because its announcement preceded Apple’s unveiling of the first-generation iPhone. LG announced the Prada on 12 December 2006, while Steve Jobs introduced the iPhone on 9 January 2007. After Apple’s announcement and subsequent product launch, an LG mobile research executive publicly suggested that Apple had taken inspiration from the Prada concept. The comparison became part of the phone’s historical reputation, although the two products differed in software, ecosystem, hardware implementation, and market strategy. The series was also recognized by design and consumer-technology organizations. The KE850 received an iF Design Award and a 2007 Red Dot “Best of the Best” distinction, along with several fashion-phone and appearance-related awards from mobile-media outlets. Its touch-slate design influenced later LG products, including the KS20 and Viewty. LG and Prada continued the partnership with the Prada II, announced in 2008, and the Prada 3.0, introduced in 2012. The line is no longer an active product family, but it remains an important early example of luxury-fashion collaboration in mobile hardware and of the transition toward capacitive touchscreen phones.
History
LG Prada originated as a partnership between LG Electronics and Prada to create a mobile phone positioned at the intersection of consumer technology, industrial design, and luxury fashion. LG had already established a design-led direction with the Chocolate phone, and the Prada project extended that approach into a premium handset with a more radical touchscreen format. The first device was announced on 12 December 2006 and became official through an LG press release on 18 January 2007. The initial product was the LG KE850, commonly called the LG Prada or PRADA Phone by LG. Its defining feature was a capacitive touchscreen covered by glass. Unlike many earlier touchscreen devices, it did not require a stylus, and its interface was based on a monochromatic Flash design intended to complement Prada’s understated visual identity. The exterior used a predominantly black, minimalist treatment. LG designer Kang-Heui Cha was associated with the industrial design, while the Prada collaboration affected the interface, ringtones, and other preloaded material. The KE850 was more than a fashion accessory. It included Bluetooth, expandable storage through a MicroSD slot, document-viewing support for PDF and Microsoft Office files, and four preloaded games: Halloween Fever, Photo Puzzle, Virus, and Pipe. The South Korean version added a DMB television receiver. These features placed the phone within the emerging smartphone and advanced-feature-phone market, even though it did not rely on the application ecosystem later associated with touchscreen smartphones. Retail sales began in March 2007 in the United Kingdom, France, and Italy, with a stated price of €599. The phone subsequently reached other European territories and selected Asian markets, including Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, and South Korea. It was not released in the Americas. A silver-colored version arrived in January 2008 and introduced a virtual QWERTY keyboard in place of the original T9 text-entry system. The timing of the product became central to its historical significance. LG had announced the Prada before Apple presented the first iPhone on 9 January 2007. After the iPhone announcement, the head of LG’s Mobile Handset R&D Center was quoted as arguing that Apple had copied the idea from the Prada because the LG device had already been announced and had received an iF Design Award. The episode created a continuing comparison between the two phones, particularly around their use of large touchscreen fronts. The products nevertheless differed substantially in operating systems, software strategy, connectivity, ecosystem, and commercial execution. The first Prada phone received notable design recognition, including a 2007 iF Product Design Award and a Red Dot “Best of the Best” award. It was also named or recognized by several mobile and consumer-technology publications in fashion-phone and appearance-focused categories. Reference material reports sales of one million units during the first 18 months. The touch-slate concept subsequently influenced other LG devices, including the KS20 Windows Mobile handset and the Viewty. LG and Prada maintained the collaboration through later generations. The Prada II, also called the KF900, was announced in October 2008. A further model, the Prada 3.0 or P940, followed in 2012. The line is now defunct, but its importance lies in demonstrating that luxury-brand partnerships could shape not only the exterior of a mobile phone but also its interface, content, retail presentation, and market positioning. It is also remembered as an early commercially visible capacitive touchscreen phone released immediately before the smartphone market was transformed by the iPhone.
- 2012
Prada 3.0 introduced
[1]The third major collaboration model, the Prada 3.0 or P940, was introduced.
- 2008
Silver model introduced
[1]A silver-colored variant launched with a virtual QWERTY keyboard.
- 2008
Prada II announced
[1]LG announced the second-generation Prada handset, known as the KF900.
- 2007
Formal launch and European release
[1]The phone was formally announced in January and entered initial European markets in March at a stated price of €599.
- 2007
Design recognition
[1]The KE850 received an iF Product Design Award and a Red Dot “Best of the Best” distinction.
- 2006
First LG Prada handset announced
[1]LG announced the KE850 collaboration with Prada on 12 December 2006.
Products and positioning
A premium fashion-phone line combining LG Electronics hardware and mobile technology with Prada’s minimalist luxury design language.
Touchscreen mobile phone · 2007
LG Prada KE850
The original Prada-branded LG handset, announced in 2006 and released in 2007. It used a glass-covered capacitive touchscreen, a monochromatic Flash-based interface, Prada-themed ringtones and content, Bluetooth, MicroSD expansion, document viewing, and four preloaded games. Its black minimalist design was central to the product’s luxury-fashion positioning. A South Korean version included DMB television reception.
Mobile-phone variant · 2008
LG Prada silver edition
A silver-colored version of the original Prada phone released in January 2008. In addition to its revised finish, it offered a virtual QWERTY keyboard rather than relying on the original T9 text-entry arrangement.
Fashion smartphone · 2008
LG Prada II KF900
The second-generation handset in the LG-Prada collaboration. It was announced in October 2008 as a successor to the KE850. The supplied reference material identifies the model and announcement but does not provide a complete specification or detailed account of its market rollout.
Fashion smartphone · 2012
LG Prada 3.0 P940
The third major LG-Prada handset, introduced in 2012. It continued the partnership’s use of Prada-oriented styling and branding. The supplied reference material does not provide enough detail to document its complete specifications, sales performance, or distribution.
Brand decisions
2012
Introduce the Prada 3.0Generation changeBackground
LG and Prada continued their co-branded mobile-phone strategy after the KE850 and KF900.
Action taken
The companies introduced the Prada 3.0, identified as model P940.
Aftermath
The Prada 3.0 became the last major generation identified in the supplied reference material; the product line is no longer active.
2008
Develop the Prada IIGeneration changeBackground
Following the original phone’s launch and reported sales of one million units in its first 18 months, LG and Prada continued the product relationship.
Action taken
The companies announced the Prada II, designated KF900, in October 2008.
Aftermath
The announcement extended the line beyond the original KE850, although the supplied material does not document detailed commercial results.
2006
Launch a luxury-fashion touchscreen handsetProduct launchBackground
LG sought to build on its design-led mobile-phone strategy, while Prada provided a luxury-fashion identity for a premium handset. The project was announced before the first iPhone.
Action taken
LG and Prada developed and announced the KE850, combining a capacitive touchscreen, minimalist black hardware, a monochromatic interface, and Prada-related content.
Aftermath
The product received major design recognition and became an early reference point in discussions of capacitive touchscreen phones and fashion-brand collaborations.
Recent events
- 2012
LG introduces the Prada 3.0[1]
Product generation · Product launch
The Prada 3.0, identified as model P940, became the third major generation of the LG-Prada handset collaboration.
- 2008
LG Prada II is announced[1]
Product generation · Product launch
LG and Prada announced a successor known as the Prada II or KF900, extending the co-branded handset line.
- 2007
PRADA Phone by LG becomes official[1]
Product launch
The collaboration was formally presented in an LG press release on 18 January 2007, ahead of the phone’s European retail launch.
- 2007
LG Prada launches in initial European markets[1]
Product launch · Pricing
The KE850 began sales in the United Kingdom, France, and Italy in March 2007 at a stated retail price of €599.
- 2007
LG executive raises comparison with the first iPhone[1]
Other
Following Apple’s iPhone announcement, an LG mobile research executive said he believed Apple had taken the idea from the previously announced Prada phone.
- 2006
LG and Prada announce a touchscreen phone collaboration[1]
Product launch
LG announced the first Prada-branded handset, later identified as the KE850, on 12 December 2006.
Sources1 sources
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