SmartPhoneToday's James Alan Miller reports that Verizon is counting on the LG Prada KE850 to help it compete with AT&T's upcoming launch of the Apple iPhone.

"Already available in England, the prada sports an advanced touch-screen interface, called ClearPad, that's similar to the MultiTouch technology Apple is integrating into the iPhone," Miller writes. "While the iPhone will sell for $500 (4GB model) and $600 (8GB model) with a two-year agreement, the Prada will go for around $600 without a contract. That means Verizon, if it chooses, could subsidize the Prada to lower the cost to buy one significantly for its customers, making it even more competitive with the iPhone."

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