LG gets pissy at Motorola over KRZR design

In a world of 18-30 month development times for the average cellphone, it's understandable that the nerves of company executives get a little frayed when it comes to touting their latest creation. That's why we feel a degree of vague sympathy for Lee Hyoung-kun, a spokesman for LG Electronics who landed the enviable task of announcing to The Korea Times that his company thinks of Motorola's KRZR as a straight-up copy of LG's KV2300. Usually we're down with a little smack talk between companies, but this accusation doesn't leave us in an accommodating kind of mood. The point behind the whole accusation is very muddled, in particular the statement "we are very flattered that a company of such caliber followed our design policy." Besides, those 18-30 month development times mentioned earlier make copying cellphone designs practically impossible and especially unlikely for a phone we've known about for ages. LG, in future, leave the snarky digs to us, mkay?

[Thanks, RandomStranger]

[Totalfixation @ Oct 8th 2006 2:36PM]

ummm ya right, that phone look so much like a razr than anything else.

[Sean @ Oct 8th 2006 2:37PM]

And those buttons on the front of both phones looks like a straight up rip-off of an iPod... just missing the menu button.

[akijikan @ Oct 8th 2006 5:40PM]

oh yeah...how dare they use those long time industry buttons for play, and skip-forward and back

[Dp462090 @ Oct 8th 2006 2:43PM]

The KRZR, looks more like a thinner (in width) RAZR, than the LG KV2300 (other than the arrows).

[Rohit Kapur @ Oct 8th 2006 2:51PM]

Hey Conrad, is everybody else on holiday? You're having to churn out everything alll by yourself! ;-) I feel for ya man.

The phones look similar, but I don't think it's a copy. I mean, by this analogy, there will be a LOT more copies... Plus, Sean is right. The buttons look truly iPod-ish.

[Xavier Gill @ Oct 8th 2006 3:01PM]

Ah yes the Americans would never rip off the Koreans...

[QUOW @ Oct 8th 2006 3:02PM]

Wait, now people are saying that the standard Rewind, Play, and FF button symbols are rip-offs of the iPod. That's it, I'm never buying an Apple product.

[Rohit Kapur @ Oct 8th 2006 3:11PM]

lol... I can understand your point of view too. What I meant was, the buttons look like the iPod ones because of their exact iPod shape (touch button in a circle) and the red LED behind it is the same as the iPod's. Put the two side by side and you'll realize what I mean. :-)

[Ignacio @ Oct 8th 2006 3:16PM]

I think they are talking about the old 3G iPod:
http://images.google.com/images?q=3g%20ipod&sa=N&tab=wi

[fraeone @ Oct 8th 2006 3:13PM]

18-30 Month development times doesn't mean they can't change the exterior materials / shape in the last few months when they see something that they just have to copy.

[LPD @ Oct 8th 2006 3:18PM]

Obviously the KRZR is scaring the hell out of LG, and well it should with Motorola's past success with the RAZR. This is a clever way for LG to say "we have a KRZR too" without sounding like they copied the KRZR. The KRZR is not nearly the same and is better looking. Hello LG!

[skype_fan @ Oct 8th 2006 3:37PM]

look at the level of korean mobile phone technology vs the US mobile phone technology. Then it's easy to see who copies from whom. Go more often to Korea !! ;-)

[OyoyoY123 @ Oct 8th 2006 3:49PM]

"korean mobile phone technology"

"Go more often to Korea"

"*fart*"

[jeff @ Oct 8th 2006 4:50PM]

what a weak and facile response. have you ever even been to korea, let alone see how much more advanced their mobile technology is? let me put it this way- the things they are doing over there probably won't reach U.S. shores for at least 5 years- if they ever do. all i have to say are these 2 things: wibro and DMB. do some research into who is pioneering these sectors. motorola? don't kid yourself, buddy.

[TIMMAH! @ Oct 8th 2006 4:21PM]

I'm surprised, in this patent happy world, that noone has a patent on the flip phone. Probabaly would be entitled something like 'Method to create a self-protecting input and display area for mobile communicators.'

[Daniel @ Oct 8th 2006 4:43PM]

Sanyo Katana
vs
Motorola Razr

[Owen V @ Oct 8th 2006 4:46PM]

I'm going to say that both of these get the majority of their design from the original razr. Actually, the hinges at the top of the lg make it look even more like a razr v3.

Just out of curiosity, I wonder what will activate or deactivate the touch sensative buttons on the outside. I think when to activate them is a little more straight-forward on a slider... when its closed, they are off. on the clamshell the only chance to use them is when the phone is closed.

[Foof @ Oct 8th 2006 4:54PM]

Foof - I think the flip format phone may have been around before there were cell phones. Someone must has tried to copy a Star Trek communicator with a cordless or even corded phone, so I doubt it's patentable.

[diulei @ Oct 8th 2006 5:18PM]

A Korean company is mad at someone else for allegedly "borrowing" a design.

Oh, the irony.

That means in a few years the Chinese companies will start.

[AyAn4m1 @ Oct 8th 2006 5:39PM]

Yeah, I agree with whoever said it's just a way for LG to get free advertising. Their phone obviously stole design cues from the v3 and possibly the KRZR as well, especially if LG was trolling patent offices waiting for some design specs or whatever. I'm not saying LG is wrong, but really, who cares. Sometimes LG steals cues from Motorola, sometimes (maybe) Motorola does the same thing. As soon as Motorola put out the v3, everyone copied it in the most blatant ways (RAZR = blade... Katana = blade), so I don't even know why they want to start shit about it. Just let it go, and the next time you steal something, maybe whoever took it won't bitch about you.

[midnightblade @ Oct 8th 2006 5:53PM]

I gotta say, that's some pretty good photoshopping on that image. It doesn't even look like it's been photoshopped.

[skylar Damiano @ Oct 8th 2006 6:04PM]

Have you seen AllTel's MOTOKRZR commercial? It is almost the exact same as the commercial for the american Chocolate (although the chocolate in the USA is a joke).

[stirlo @ Oct 8th 2006 6:11PM]

yeah, and LG have never, ever ripped off anyone else's designs before....

My favourite LG is the LG nokia... whenever i see it, i think.. "what model is that?" "oh, it's an Algae... Shame...."

[Nate @ Oct 8th 2006 6:57PM]

The Sanyo Katana is actually like a 7 year old phone in Japan. I'll agree that the name must have been a little more than "inspired" from the RAZR when they rebadged it and sold it in the States though.

[sc00tert00ter @ Oct 8th 2006 7:35PM]

personally, having had both motorola and lg phones, i believe LG had the design first ,but these assumptions are mainly because of my distaste of motorola's crappy phones!
p.s. if u look at the bottom of the KRZR it kinda looks like it was photoshopped in :-

[Luis Martinez @ Oct 8th 2006 7:58PM]

The interior of the LG is still pretty generic and gives it a cheap feeling. I wish they would have payed as much detail as they did to the exterior. This is a region where I feel Motorola is superior. LG is really catching up in the mobile phone division, however.

[Man @ Oct 9th 2006 1:59AM]

LG phone sux! It's the LG's KV2300 phone that copy the Motorola Razr!

[Matt @ Oct 9th 2006 3:06AM]

Yea. All slimline flipphones shamelessly copied the Motorola RAZR (which has in its entire life got only the external design right). Including LG. Including Nokia. And Samsung. Come on Motorola is crap, but you copy their only success, and then claim they copied your copy in their next gen version?

[CTG @ Oct 9th 2006 5:20AM]

The LG official from that article saying they both have 1.3mp cameras is incorrect. The KRZR K1m in Korea has a 2mp camera as well as a microSD slot and QVGA screen over the KV2300 while being 1mm thinner with longer battery life.

Even if Motorola did copy the design, which they didn't, it's nice to see Moto coming from behind with the better spec'd product for once. Hope it takes the KV2300 to the cleaners.

[Kei @ Oct 9th 2006 6:52AM]

I guess you motorola fan boys are going to say anything slim is a razr now.

LG is obviously talking about the general design of the front. Engadget even posted a pic to show.

I say GO LG!! Motorola is crap anyway.

[gober @ Oct 9th 2006 8:42AM]

It's great to see Engadget's proud tradition of gratuitous "mkays" is still alive and well. On the other hand, you're falling behind on your monthly "natch" quota. Better get crackalackin!

[Brad @ Oct 9th 2006 10:05AM]

Ah, yes, because LG doesn't have Motorola to thank for the fact that they can make cell phones that are along the same lines as the RAZR and KRZR. LG would've never made a phone that looked anything like them if it wasn't for Motorola, so LG shouldn't be bitching as far as I'm concerned.

[Trey @ Oct 9th 2006 12:56PM]

You're kidding me right?

L(ow) G(rade) or L(ame) G(ear) - as they are generally known here in the UK - is taking pot shots at MOTOROLA? Whatever next Hyundai will claim Ferrari is copying their coupe designs?

LG are fighting way to many notches above their belts.
Get back in the box

[Becks @ Oct 10th 2006 1:19AM]

I mean come on, besides the visual eye candy that moto phones offer, American phones are a pile of crap!
Technology that Japan/Korea/Finland already have interms of phone-wise, moto phones' interface are so backward and dumb!
So come on guys, just admit it, moto copied lg, or rather moto copies the world ...

[sb @ Oct 10th 2006 3:43PM]

If it was for anything else i wouldnt think motorola would copy it. but since it is cell a phone and LG's cyon 2300 has been on the market for months already..

krzr asian version has 2" screen while other regions get 1.9" screen. i wonder if motorola is bench marketing LG. since asia has LG 2300 with 2" screen for months already.. hmm

[Sonatina @ Jun 3rd 2007 11:24AM]

Oh come on.

Of course MOTOROLA wouldn't copy LG.
I mean, it's just SO much better.
Bigger companies are always better, no?
And of course, the US would NEVER copy something from Korea
:rolls eyes:

If the Krzr came out before LG's model, you fregging Moto fanboys would say they copied in 5 seconds flat.
And on that subject, your argument that LG AND the Katana copied the Razr is ridiculous
If anything, LG copied Sanyo, which came out with the Katana in japan way before the Razr ever hit markets. The only thing that the Katana copied was Razr's name.