First Impressions: LG Prada 3.0

Earlier today, LG launched their latest and most stylish Android phone yet, the LG Prada 3.0. If you will try to remember, it was in late 2008 when they released their LG Prada 2.0 which is just a feature phone with a QWERTY slider so this latest version is a huge leap from 2.0.

The design on LG Prada 3.0 is inspired by the Prada fashion brand, with a mix of sleek curves on a slim, gorgeous black body. It looks like a bigger Optimus Black with the curves of the Nokia N9 (or Lumia 800) and I like it a lot. The buttons look inconspicuous especially those on top lending to a sophisticated design.

The inconspicuous buttons. L-R, Power/Sleep, microUSB latch, Activate front camera button

You can definitely see the Prada branding on this phone as it’s the only thing you will see in front when the phone is turned off. At the back is Prada’s signature Saffiano pattern giving it a unique premium feel and again, with the Prada brand. The LG logo is also embossed at the back so it’s hard to see without looking closely.

The textured back of the LG Prada 3.0, very classy

Having a 4.3-inch display, it’s one of LG’s biggest Android phone, the other one being the Optimus 3D. The IPS display is nice but it only has an 800 x 480 resolution, just average for 4.3-inch phones in the market but the same as the Samsung Galaxy S2. The HTC Sensation has the highest at 960 x 540.

The curves remind me of a slimmer Nokia 9

What’s nice with the LG Prada 3.0’s screen is the NOVA display we first saw on the LG Optimus Black. It sports a display brightness of 800 nits which is higher than that of the Optimus Black (700 nits). Comparing it to the iPhone 4S and the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7, the LG Prada 3.0 has the brightest screen by a long shot making it very usable under bright conditions.

This phone also has a 1GHz Dual-Core / Dual Channel architecture just like the Optimus 3D although the Prada 3.0 has a 1GB RAM. This feature allows the phone to function smoothly despite heavy multitasking. If you’ve been using a dual-core phone, you would still notice some short lags here and there as more apps are running in the background. LG claims their dual channel architecture handles multitasking much better than ordinary dual-core phones in the market. Something to look out for in reviews.

Other features you will get out of this premium phone is an 8GB internal storage, 8-megapixel camera with flash capable of recording full HD videos and Android 2.3 Gingerbread. LG says the Ice Cream Sandwich update for this phone will be available (hopefully) on the 2nd quarter of the year.

So how much do you need to shell out for this fashionably sleek phone? The LG Prada 3.0 has an SRP of just Php29,990 and should already be available this month in all LG Concept stores. I was actually surprised at the price considering typical device collaboration with fashion brands tend to be outrageously expensive.