Apple iPhone vs HTC Touch vs LG Prada: battle royale

Want to argue about which of among trio of sparsely-buttoned large-touchscreen devices takes the cake? Now's your chance. The contestants: Apple iPhone, HTC Touch, LG Prada. Rumble on.

Apple iPhone vs HTC Touch vs LG Prada

Apple iPhoneHTC TouchLG PradaI want buttons! BUTTONS!Vote

Gallery: Apple iPhone vs HTC Touch vs LG Prada: battle royale

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[will @ Jun 30th 2007 3:58PM]

At this point in time, the iPhone is on top. The HTC Touch lags when you use the finger swipes. I'm in the fog for the LG Prada. One thing is certain. IF and only IF Meizu comes out w/the MiniOne M8, we should start comparing it to that. For Meizu ACTUALLY does a good job w/"Apple Inspired" products.

[John Doe @ Jun 30th 2007 4:00PM]

Woo hoo for fanboi tards.

[dave @ Jun 30th 2007 4:05PM]

wow...I really wasnt expecting the iphone to live up to the ads. I was expecting to get a flattened greasy burger instead of the one in the pictures. This really is a revolutionary phone. It's rare that I'm impressed and the item over exceeds my expectations.

[MacBoi @ Jun 30th 2007 4:50PM]

I don't know about you, but it sounds like your astroturfing. Sorry, but your comment seems to be expressed in that style.

[dave @ Jun 30th 2007 5:23PM]

See what happens when I drink a few glasses of wine with no agenda, just tryin got be honest...Anyways, yeah, I still agree with what I initially posted.

[t-bone @ Jun 30th 2007 6:26PM]

@macboi: I made the mistake of looking at other phones that I wanted after I played with the iPhone. Every time I thought,"This is it?" They were lightyears better than my phone and any other time I would have been drooling but they were stupid in light of the iPhone. They made sense because I was familiar with the menu idea but suddenly menues sucked.

[KnightmareCS @ Jun 30th 2007 4:27PM]

What was the point of making this when you know there is an obvious answer?
Btw, nice job on having the iPhone in the middle in full view with the other phones shorted out.
Voted for the Touch.

[Philip Seyfi @ Jun 30th 2007 6:40PM]

Voted for the Touch as well!

[Precise @ Jun 30th 2007 4:28PM]

Emm. Love me some gadget pr0n

[trongle @ Jul 3rd 2007 1:37PM]

hey another person that use the word pr0n like me, and yes the iphone is sexy

[zach @ Jun 30th 2007 4:30PM]

Does anybody know if you can put a version of SQL on the iphone...if so can you provide a link or a name for it?

[saq @ Jun 30th 2007 4:33PM]

The only thing that interests me about the iPhone is the pressure its going to put on the competition (specifically HTC) to innovate with some new stuff in both the hardware arena and the software arena. The new WM6 today screen on the Touch is a fantastic plugin and I'm happily running it on my Hermes.
HTC really needs to bring back the Blue Angel but with a Hermes style keyboard with some trimmed down chassis dimensions.
And about that touchscreen, I'm sorry every video I've seen people type really really slow on. I can easily type about 70wpm on my Hermes keyboard which is significantly smaller than the iPhone screen.

[Alistair @ Jul 1st 2007 5:52AM]

Totally agreed! HTC has some impressive hardware lined up with the Kaiser, but Im sure the premium cost wont make it a competitor, not to mention its not smaller or better looking than a tytn (8525), and thats not exactly a looker.

Im considering buying a Blue Angel NOW because of its awesome screen size, tuckable keyboard, lovely design and near $200 pricetag. Now if only the cheap ones were not all silver.

Whatever jackass at HTC decided 2.8" QVGA screens, 200 Mhz CPUs, and 64 MB RAM (only 48 usable at any time) were the way to go on their devices needs to be drawn and quartered, shot, and bathed in acid.

Dedicated Pocket PCs have been enjoying superior CPU speed, RAM and gloriously large VGA screens for awhile now.

Hopefully the beauty that is the iPhone will kick their asses into gear!

(note I said beauty.. the only thing I actually like about the iPhone is the screen, otherwise closed platform smartphones suck... no matter who makes them)

[saq @ Jul 1st 2007 1:58PM]

The Blue Angel was my favorite PDAPhone. Lots of horsepower, great magnesium chassis, thin size. It also just felt really nice. However, it had a few pretty big negatives going for it.

WM2003, that meant if you lost battery power, your Windows got wiped.

Short battery life, somehow the device had a really really small battery, like 1100mAh. Mugen did make a 2000mAh battery that was just about the same size as the original so it wasn't quite as big a deal.

Worthless keyboard. HTC learned from this one. The keys on the keyboard were some kind of bumpy plastic film across some of those rubber nipples found underneath keyboard buttons. No tactile feedback to speak of.

I'd really like HTC to remake the Blue Angel (instead of the Universal, too big) that has all the good things the Blue Angel had (thin, magnesium chassis, fast, big screen) a super thin bevel (just enough room for a few buttons and a dpad) and a slideout keyboard similar to the Hermes. I'd be pretty happy with that.

[Jake @ Jun 30th 2007 4:33PM]

The iPhone looks huge compared to the other phones. But in real life the thing is tiny and a joy to hold. You gotta see for yourself in person.

[Chris Flynn @ Jun 30th 2007 4:33PM]

Well I don't know about the US version of the Prada but in the UK the texting screen still presents you with a numeric keypad and you still have to cycle through each of the three letters on each key as you painfully type out your text. It's excruciatingly awful software through and through.

I think that tells you all you need to know about the Prada...

Let's be very clear about this - The iPhone is science fiction made fact.

[KnightmareCS @ Jun 30th 2007 4:43PM]

http://www.gsmarena.com/lg_ke850_prada-review-145p3.php

Scroll down to the video of the texting.

"...have to cycle through each of the three letters on each key as you painfully type out your text..."

You're spot on.
Wait... no?

[Erik @ Jun 30th 2007 4:46PM]

HAHAHAHAHA! "Science Fiction made fact!"

...You're serious?

It's all current technology. Until it can mount onto a shark and fire lasers at people or let me hologram-call people, it's just an expensive piece of current (and sometimes yesterday) technology.

[Robbie @ Jun 30th 2007 5:29PM]

that interface must be a uk version or something. i have seen an lg prada in person that had a totally different color interface

[ztx @ Jun 30th 2007 4:36PM]

I would really like to see some pictures with the iPhone and some non touchscreen phones.. Over here in europe the nokias and sonyericssons are the most popular phones and no where is there images of them and the iphone..
Would be great to see how big/small that thing is compared to our phones..

[Brett Sterling @ Jun 30th 2007 4:43PM]

Dude answer your email lol 51 messages...?

[fontendet24 @ Jun 30th 2007 4:57PM]

Does the sim-card not replaceable?
Sim-card slot has a little hole - i think it can be open by some needle...
Anyone tries it?

[Robbie @ Jun 30th 2007 5:29PM]

the sim card IS replaceable through that slot. it has to be. theres a billion ways that at&t sim cards can get "fried" by account changes.

[fontendet24 @ Jun 30th 2007 6:04PM]

Can already activated iphone works by inserted sim-card of other operator????

[Josh @ Jun 30th 2007 5:12PM]

Whoa, iPhone screen looks amazing compared to the others, i though the screens in the ads would be simulated not the real thing...

[Kam @ Jun 30th 2007 5:39PM]

buttons I say!

[Surur @ Jun 30th 2007 6:10PM]

I have an HTC Touch. For viewing the touchflo system works fine, e.g. play music, view websites. And for data input you still have the good old stylus. Its the best of both worlds.

The IPhone tried to go finger-only, and you end up with stupid restrictions such as not being able to cut and paste, and having to use a magnifying glass to accurately place a cursor.

[brendan Sheehan jnr @ Jun 30th 2007 8:16PM]

I've seen demos of that 'HTC Touch', sorry to break it to you but swipes to get to hidden menus, eh, no thanks. The iPhone can't cut an paste as of now, but that's only a software update away.

[Chris Flynn @ Jun 30th 2007 6:12PM]

well let's say that once upon a time the RAZR ( or starTac as it started out!) WAS the star Trek Communicator made into flesh - and very sexiful it was too....but it went stagnant O/S wise or they couldn't evolve for some reason.

So...What exactly does that make the iPhone ? - I mean who in science fiction has anything that cool ??

Seriously, just imagine where the iPhone is going now Apple have fully got the 'portable communicator' bee in their bonnet...5 Years from now it may be the ONLY piece of technology you need to own....

That's what I mean about science fiction....because of this device the future is awesome again..

[jilie @ Jun 30th 2007 7:02PM]

Engadget cheating again...

[Bogdan @ Jun 30th 2007 7:05PM]

You know what the best move for Microsoft would be? To acquire HTC and start building its own iPhone killer. Microsoft, are you listening?

[AirStrike X2 @ Jun 30th 2007 7:06PM]

iPhone has the brightest screen of the 3. Which is awesome!

[Jorge @ Jun 30th 2007 9:15PM]

i voted for iphone but most likely if i buy one of the phone it will be the htc touch since i am in asia so that will be 1/2 - 1 year wait. So i will not wait and if the iphone ever made it to asia then i will buy it then.

[Kei @ Jun 30th 2007 9:29PM]

pisses me off that the prada is on there, especially when it's JUST a phone with a touch screen nothing more.

People need to stop comparing it to the iPhone and Touch.

[C. T. @ Jun 30th 2007 10:14PM]

@ Bogdan

Why is the solution for Microsoft to always buy someone else? Microsoft should buy Nintendo, buy EA, buy HTC; Microsoft doesn't have any incentive to buy HTC for the same reason they have no incentive to make and sell PCs. Unlike Apple, they are able to produce OSes and software that can conform to different hardware specifications, and leave the hardware business up to those who already excel in it. Apple thrives off utilizing a closed system that simplifies things for both the producer and the consumer and locks out third parties, like iTunes and iPod's relationship and the fact that the iPhone accepts no external media and third party software. Microsoft has zero incentive to buy HTC in particular because they share such a close partnership. In exchange for being devoted to Windows Mobile, Microsoft lets HTC behind the curtain all the time and keeps them appraised of future developments and even seeks input of what changes HTC thinks would be beneficial.

[Unregistered @ Jul 1st 2007 11:21AM]

"Unlike Apple, they are able to produce OSes and software that can conform to different hardware specifications, and leave the hardware business up to those who already excel in it."

Off topic, but that doesn't seem to apply to the xbox & zune :)

[stinkingpig @ Jun 30th 2007 10:23PM]

wake me up when RIM makes one. Seriously, if it doesn't sync with Exchange Server (as implemented in the real world), it's a toy, and I don't drop this kind of coin on this kind of toy.

[- k E n - @ Jun 30th 2007 11:34PM]

it does support Exchange, i think. I say i think because i am only basing this on screenshots of the UI having not seen any actual implementation of it yet.

http://www.thinksecret.com/archives/iphoneinterface/image/iphone03.jpg

[stinkingpig @ Jul 1st 2007 1:54AM]

it's possible that they're using Outlook Web Access, the way Ximian Evolution does... still, you'd think that would be a bigger point of discussion if they had it working right. STFW... Nope, it's using IMAP: http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1895,2152500,00.asp

no bueno bastante.

[lillian @ Jun 30th 2007 11:30PM]

If all three have same price, I'll pick iphone.
But hTC Touch cost around 100 US dollar in T-Mobile Europe with 2 year contract. That's 499-100=399 dollors difference. I'll pick HTC Touch in this case.

[BHSPitMonkey @ Jun 30th 2007 11:39PM]

You guys forgot OpenMoko (selling July 9).

www.openmoko.org

[Namarrgon @ Jul 1st 2007 2:37AM]

You know, my current phone doesn't have an interface as nice as the iPhone's. Its touch screen only listens to one finger at a time. The music playback isn't as intuitive, and it'll only fit half as much memory into its external slot.

OTOH, I can cut and paste from an Exchange-pushed email into a Word doc, and annotate it with a real keyboard. I can record video & send it via MMS. I can dial by voice alone, handsfree from my stereo bluetooth headset. I can replace a dead battery and switch carriers on a whim. I can read ebooks, play games (Java or native), SSH and VLC over VPN, stream music from a DNLA server or divx movies from a Windows share. I can use Google Maps or Tomtom Navigator with a Bluetooth GPS, and I can do it all over Wifi OR HSDPA/3G - and it was *FREE* with a two-year contract.

Tell me again why I'd want an iPhone?

[Russ Greene @ Jul 1st 2007 11:09AM]

which phone do u have?

[Namarrgon @ Jul 1st 2007 10:00PM]

HTC Hermes.

Also known as iMate Jasjam, Cingular 8525, Dopod 838 Pro etc etc.

[Namarrgon @ Jul 2nd 2007 5:14AM]

Update: Just found out that my phone WILL take a 4GB or 8GB MicroSDHC card, when running WM6 :-)

[pezgal @ Jul 1st 2007 3:29AM]

So, the iPhone has some very slick things about it, but, the keyboard is not so hot for real email users, if you actually use all the features (music, video, phone) the battery runs out faster than most smartphones, and the battery is not removable, and of course it runs on the slow as molasses at&t network. and it was overhyped and is v1, which is bound to have bugs. i am a v big apple fan and own several ipods and an macbook, but have to say i think this is way too much hoopla for this item. i can already do the things this phone does with my sony ericsson walkman phone and have been doing it for over a year. no offense, steve, but you didn't invent the touch screen interface or the music phone. yawn.

[Unregistered @ Jul 1st 2007 11:16AM]

The LG phone is a pain to use. My colleague has one and he says sms is slow, and the phone often HANGS. And he cannot dial toll-free numbers. As to why he cldn't dial it, he didn't elaborate. He sold it off after a week and went back to his D&G Edition Razr. Guess he likes fashion phones!

[Christopher Handley @ Jul 1st 2007 11:59AM]

What kind of question was this!?

[Afrokz @ Jul 1st 2007 5:59PM]

You people are such of idiots: to be worth of new generation you got to have this (3G,wifi, 3rd party application, GPS)

- Iphone (no 3G, no wifi, no 3rd party application), it is stylish, with ipod, as phone with old tech and big price tag = (normal people without knowlege of new tech)

- HTC touch (has 3 triband, wifi, 3rd party application, gps), is a bit sluggish = (computer geek or professional)

- LG Prada (no 3G, no wifi, no 3rd party application), stylish, completely waste of money = (for women)

If you ask me my vote goes HTC Touch, because of reasonable price that goes with the technology they offer, also they have experience on pda...

[Thestripe @ Jul 3rd 2007 8:26PM]

You're just not reading what the Apple website says, are you?

iPhone DOES have wifi, and if you dig around on the developers site, you can get a devkit for iphone. Steve just wants to approve all the 3rd party apps for the iPhone first, so that some wanker with a texteditor doesn't write iphone-crashing-apps and distribute them on his website.

Battery life is MUCH better than other similarly capable (and many not so much so) smartphones, and that's mostly THANKS to the EDGE.

There's nothing old about the iPhone, except EDGE, and I have yet to notice significantly slower speeds than 3G. Edge works great with email, and great with google maps, for web browsing and youtube you should probably find some free wifi. But do the rest of us a favor and go play with one/do some homework before you spew stupidity in public again.