LG have revealed their plans to launch a number of new luxury phones, including a new PRADA design, which they hope will help usurp Samsung from their number two cellphone maker in the world position.  According to LG’s mobile business president, Ahn Seung-kwon, the current number three is aiming to step up by 2012, and one of their first steps in doing so will be releasing a new “Black Label” series phone in Q4 2009 to take on Apple’s iPhone 3GS.

Seung-kwon has also confirmed that a new PRADA device is in the works.  The current PRADA phone – which added a slide-out QWERTY keyboard to the original handset’s capacitive touchscreen, and introduced a limited-edition matching Bluetooth watch - was launched back in November 2008, making it somewhat old in the tooth by now.

Finally, Seung-kwon revealed that LG are considering their own Nokia Vertu rival range, a series of “extreme premium” devices.  No release details on this, however, nor the new PRADA device.

[via Gizmodo]

• Nokia iPhone-rival concept
• LG Prada II launching Tuesday November 18th in UK
• Apple iPhone, the Prada Clone?
• SlashGear at CeBIT: LG Prada phone hands-on
• AT&T blocking iPhone SlingPlayer 3G in advance of own rival service?

Continued here:
LG planning iPhone rival in Q4; new PRADA and Vertu-rival after