LG Prada 3 to run Android, get Sprint deal?

As LG never tires of reminding us, its Prada phone was the first modern touchscreen phone, pre-empting many of the features that made the original iPhone such a success. Now it is planning a third release of the handset, claiming that it will combine upgraded hardware and software performance with its reputation for being a “fashion conscious mobile phone manufacturer”.

LG says it will be focusing heavily on Qwerty keyboards and messaging capabilities, which it says are areas where it has gained real competitive advantage during 2009. These will be key features of the Prada 3, which is expected to be LG’s second Android phone.

Some bloggers even think it could debut at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas next month, where Sprint Nextel and LG are hosting a joint event (along with Brooke Shields). However, not only would this show Sprint opting for a surprisingly stylish handset, it would also be the first time any Prada model got a US carrier deal.

Instead, the more boring probability is that Sprint will be the launch operator for the LG

Lotus 2, which will be a successor to the Lotus LX600, also a Sprint model. The Lotus is far less stylish than the Prada, and positioned firmly in the midmarket, though its successor should sport a touchscreen. It will have a similar form factor to the original, according to sources, with a square shape and Qwerty keyboard, and a screen on the outer face (but this will be touch-based). There will also be expanded storage, up to 32Gb via microSD.

Back with the Prada 3, it will appear in the first quarter, and could also be the springboard for a new range of ‘extreme premium’ or luxury phones, similar to Nokia’s Vertu.