LG Prada ModelThe LG Prada "iconic phone" is the closest thing LG has got to an iPhone competition, and it's pretty close indeed. Too bad LG decided to put real buttons below the screen of its Prada phone. What looked like a slight and practical holding back in 2006 opened the door to an explosive iPhone announcement in 2007.

The LG Prada phone is the dressed-up version of the LG KE850 PDA, which has yet to see wide release (I guess the tuxedoed version is what we'll be getting instead of the original iPhone twin).

The LG Prada comes short on the screen dimension with only a 3.0 inch display. It's a GSM/EDGE device like the iPhone and critics have pointed out the possible rip off by Apple. Bluetooth and a 2.0 MP camera are included.

The LG Prada phone will be available in selected European countries in February and in Asia in March. Price is $780, free of service contract.

Note: Though the resemblance of the iPhone to the LG Prada/KE850 is unmistakable, LG's response to the iPhone is strangely non-confrontational when it should have used the opportunity to steal some of Apple's limelight. Is LG a gentleman?