LG VX9700 looks to be Verizon's Prada-like touchscreen phone

Can't leave the comforts of your speedy, reliable network, but aren't ready to carry the brick-like Voyager to appease that touchscreen hankering? Verizon might finally have a solution with the LG VX9700, which just passed the FCC. The above leaked image of the phone shows it to be similar to LG's Prada phone, but apparently there's no designer branding to be had here -- just like AT&T's upcoming Prada-inspired LG Vu. Other than that, erm, innovative menu, rumored infos include a 3.2 megapixel camera, micro USB, microSDHC, and an on-screen QWERTY keyboard for text input. Word is the phone was slated for the end of the month, but now might be delayed until April. We suppose we'll be finding out soon enough.

[John @ Mar 15th 2008 8:05PM]

*ducks for cover*

[zargon @ Mar 15th 2008 8:13PM]

Yeah... this should get interesting especially when Zak, the Blind Apple Crusader defending Apple;s honor, shows up.

[Josh L @ Mar 15th 2008 8:13PM]

Wow, an article about an LG touchscreen phone comparing it to the Prada instead of the iPhone.

You're my new favourite writer, Paul Miller! ;)

[JohnTitor @ Mar 15th 2008 8:27PM]

yup I was about to say, and it deserves to be Prada because the Prada came first and it was also by LG

[Surur @ Mar 15th 2008 8:44PM]

Hip hip hooray for Mr Miller!

[Cesar Cardoso @ Mar 15th 2008 9:18PM]

The VX9700 strongly looks like a CDMA sibling of Vu, which is essentialy a Prada without the Prada overpriced stuff. So Miller not only was right, but accurate and on point. Weeeeee!

[Reader @ Mar 15th 2008 9:36PM]

I was truly confused when I read the article. I even used ctrl+F to see if I missed the iPhone reference. What's the world coming to?

Anyways, the phone looks meh, nothing to get excited over. I'm just waiting for an Android touch phone, that'll be sweeeeet.

[ByronGman @ Mar 15th 2008 11:22PM]

Screw all these phones!!!

When is someone going to put that NVIDIA APX 2500 into something I can buy?!?!!?!?

[TomTom2007 @ Mar 15th 2008 9:56PM]

WiFi?

(fingers crossed)...

[Jamma @ Mar 15th 2008 8:34PM]

Total meizu Knockoff!

[akib @ Mar 15th 2008 8:37PM]

Hmmm I dunno about that menu, but the phone looks nice. Verizon is cdma right? If so, I hope telus (in canada) can somehow get this.

[AwlAmericanDawg @ Mar 15th 2008 8:41PM]

is it me? or is it that this phone pretty much ditched the standard verizon menu

[ryan @ Mar 15th 2008 8:44PM]

Oh im sure verizon just hasn't gotten a chance yet to taint the UI

[Mtirv @ Mar 15th 2008 9:18PM]

I really really hope that the VZW UI doesn't make it on to this thing, otherwise I'm definitely getting it.

[Speeddemon2008 @ Mar 15th 2008 9:35PM]

since verizon has slightly opened the network, and that they have kinda jumped onto the android bandwagon i do believe the VZW gui will not make it onto the phone.

[rehs93 @ Mar 16th 2008 2:21AM]

omg your right!!!!!!! no more BREW! but what about VCAST?

[Nate @ Mar 16th 2008 11:09AM]

It's the same UI. It's just skinned.

[Flashpoint @ Mar 15th 2008 8:47PM]

I have NEVER purchased and APPLE product and I never will. Though at work I manage Leopard Server for emacs on a G5 Mac Pro I've only developed bitter acceptance of their technology.

I want every single carrier to have Iphone ripoffs just so people can have a device with a good webbrowser and touscreen and Mp3 player without being locked into AT&T or force to buy from Apple.

I'm happy LG is not afraid to make Apple ripoffs and I want to see them make even better products than the overhyped iphone.

[caramelzappa @ Mar 15th 2008 8:56PM]

Since when was this about apple?

That said the Prada's mp3 player and browser don't really compare to the iphones. I dislike apple too, but chill out dude, it's just a phone. People aren't being forced to buy iphones and there are plenty of alternatives in the market.

[Derek @ Mar 15th 2008 9:01PM]

@Flashpoint

Do you really think that anyone cares?

[DT @ Mar 15th 2008 9:18PM]

Wow, you are a bitter, bitter man.

[Sam Winter @ Mar 15th 2008 9:43PM]

Seriously, you think anyone gives a shit? And besides.. a knockoff is a knockoff. If you want something with the media/internet functionality, responsiveness, and ease of use of an iPhone, THEN BUY A DAMN IPHONE. otherwise, STFU!

[zargon @ Mar 15th 2008 9:56PM]

"If you want something with the media/internet functionality, responsiveness, and ease of use of an iPhone, THEN BUY A DAMN IPHONE. otherwise, STFU!"

Ease of use? I don't know if I would consider the overall experience of the iPhone or iPod touch exactly easy for the simple fact that they lock you into using that pile of crap known as iTunes. On top of that, Apple isn't exactly known for feature rich or open products.

In fact, I don't know if I would really consider the iPod all that great of a MP3 or PMP player. Popular yes, but not best. I really like the Cowon Q5W and plan to get one after a while. It might not be exactly considered to be in the same type as a iPhone or iPod Touch, but Cowon makes rock solid MP3 and PMP players and the Q5W is no exception. Best of all, it is feature rich and not locked down or hampered in any way like Apple products.

[happy_penguin @ Mar 16th 2008 12:36AM]

There is no such thing as a "G5 Mac Pro".

[Staticoranges @ Mar 16th 2008 2:17AM]

@zargon:
What is so bad about iTunes? What features does it lack? You're not exactly locked into, there are other alternatives.

[Raider007 @ Mar 16th 2008 3:19AM]

so you manage G5 Mac Pro's huh...
you must be an excellent administrator if you don't even know what systems you're running...

[zargon @ Mar 16th 2008 9:01AM]

@Staticoranges

First off, iTunes is bloated, I just installed it on a brand new higher end laptop with a fresh install (a work PC I have been testing) and it took what I feel is too long to install. It also is kinda of sluggish for what it should be. Though my main problem lies in that fact that iTunes is designed to control your music for you, not let me control my own music. By default it takes over your system and your media files. When I have multiple device and means (PCs, Roku Photobridge, Streaming and PMP players) for listening to my music on my 2 TB NAS, I don't need iTunes fudging that for me.

I am also not fond of Apple's need for controlling you by forcing you to use iTunes to manage your music on the iPod. I understand the hard drive variants of the iPod can be used in disk mode and with some third party apps, it doesn't look like it does work out of the box. I mainly use linux at home and it is a major inconvenience to have to use iTunes, especially when Amork is a better application tha iTunes. There are also some Windows programs like Winamp, Floola and others that are great media managers for Windows that would be great if you could use with the iPod out of the box. I may be spoiled with other media players that just show up as a removable drive and you copy your files too. I am also not at all happy that I can't get files off of the iPod Touch, that is just stupid!

As far as features missing, I would consider the ability for the iPod Touch not to show up as a removable drive a missing feature. A FM tuner also, that is something that almost all other PMP players have, but the iPod has never had. The iPod also limits you with the files you can use, some of the other better companies out there allow a much larger variety of files.

I mostly like my iPod touch, the main reason I got it is because it was in the price range I was looking to spend, I needed it in a pinch so I needed to buy it at a store and the WiFi capabilities is better than most products right now. But like I said, I am looking forward to getting the Cowon Q5W which for around the same price, really puts the iPod to shame feature wise. It has all the features I listed and more, Cowon really knows how to make quality and simple MP3 and PMP players. I just have to convince the wife that if she takes the iPod Touch I get to buy the Cowon Q5W.

[Papytendo @ Mar 16th 2008 12:44PM]

The Prada has been out wayyyyyyyyyy before the iPhone was announced.

[Scott @ Mar 16th 2008 2:12PM]

@Zargon

iTunes not easy to use? It's much easier to show my parents how to use iTunes than expect them to find removable drives and manage files using Explorer. If you think otherwise you're kidding yourself. It may be easier for YOU as a "power user" to manage files directly on your disk, but I can GUARANTEE it's not as easy for Joe Public.

[Andrew @ Mar 15th 2008 9:23PM]

is the picture of the phone above have a keyboard and is it for verizon

[caramelzappa @ Mar 15th 2008 9:31PM]

Read the article?

[Reader @ Mar 16th 2008 2:29AM]

Wait, there's stuff after the title and above the comments?!

[Tim @ Mar 16th 2008 11:55AM]

Dude, the TITLE of the article answers both of your questions...

FAIL

[jbhitter24 @ Mar 15th 2008 9:53PM]

anyone else think all those ads for those steaks look like shit? as in actualy shit? doesn't make me want to eat their steaks.

[Speeddemon2008 @ Mar 15th 2008 10:11PM]

what ads? oh wait i have adblock so i see no ads.

[nintendo fanboy hater @ Mar 15th 2008 11:11PM]

i saw one of those today at best buy... i thought it looked new but was in a rush and didnt have a camera.

[zargon @ Mar 15th 2008 11:13PM]

You saw the Voyager, not the VX9700 as it is not out yet.

[nintendo fanboy hater @ Mar 15th 2008 11:33PM]

the one i saw looked 100% like the picture

[cc123 @ Mar 15th 2008 11:42PM]

No, nintendo fanboy hater, what you saw was the Voyager. They look similiar, you could say. This hasn't been released. The Voyager has a keyboard when u open it. Read the article stupid.

[nintendo fanboy hater @ Mar 16th 2008 11:40AM]

if u my stupid little idiot would actually read. 100% means totally the same. i know wat i saw the one at best buy didnt open

[Tim @ Mar 16th 2008 11:58AM]

What?

Can I get a translator...?

[Tim @ Mar 16th 2008 12:03PM]

Oh, I think I got it. You meant,

"If you, my stupid little idot, would actually read [what I said again], [I said] 100%. [That means] totally the same. I know what I saw, the one at best buy didn't open [to reveal a qwerty keyboard].

There ya go big guy. May i suggest typing your replies in Word first, and letting the red and green lines do the hard work for you, then just pasting it here? That might be a more reasonable method for someone of your...calibre.

[zargon @ Mar 16th 2008 12:45PM]

Well it is great that you know what you saw and are 100% sure, but you are still wrong.

If you would read what the article says, you would see that it was originally was due out in April. If you were to look at you calendar, you would notice that it is only March. However, it just passed the FCC and it looks like it will be a little longer before it comes out.

Trust us when we say, what you saw is the Voyager.

[Staticoranges @ Mar 15th 2008 11:55PM]

Finally a somewhat nice looking phone from Verizon. Let's just hope that Verizon hasn't crippled this phone to death.

[happy_penguin @ Mar 16th 2008 12:42AM]

From what little I can see it looks like a nice product. If it is in fact able to compete with the iPhone I think that's a good thing. I love my iPhone but it does lack in some areas especially with the EDGE network, which usually is quite sufficient for me when I need it, but 3G would be infinitely better.

I don't consider this a rip off any more than I consider half of what Apple, Linux or Microsoft do to each other every day. They all copy each other and if they can improve on the idea as they do that, then all the better for the consumer.

[nmmalone @ Mar 16th 2008 12:46AM]

I'm still waiting for the Android platform phones...

[Jay @ Mar 16th 2008 1:44AM]

Put Android on that thing and wait until next year to release it after I inevitably grow bored of my Voyager, then we'll talk

[rehs93 @ Mar 16th 2008 2:21AM]

Is it just me or is it all of a sudden LG is starting to release touchscreen phones for most carriers. I mean look - LG Glimmer for Alltel, LG Vu for AT&T, and now this one, the LG VX9700 for Verizon. Im not saying its bad, but what about one for Sprint, and T-Mobile, how come no LG phones in the first place?

[SeditioN VII @ Mar 16th 2008 3:54PM]

Why add more weight to a sinking ship? (Sprint)

[daschupa @ Mar 16th 2008 5:39AM]

So if the Voyager is a brick, does that make the iphone a cinder block?