LG Electronics said on Thursday that it will release Prada Phone 3.0 in Korea as early as this month, drawing attention to whether the new smartphone will be able to help the company expand its sales of mobile devices.

Prada Phone 3.0, the third smartphone jointly built with Prada, comes three years after its second LG-Prada model was released in 2008.

The officials said that Prada Phone 3.0 could be sold in the domestic market this year, a month earlier than initially expected. The launch date in other countries is set for January.

The introduction of Prada Phone 3.0 comes after a two-year development process.

One official from LG Electronics was quoted as saying that their “new design will bring fresh air to consumers who are tired of the smartphone race focused on technical specifications.”

The android-based gadget features a redesigned monochrome Prada UI and super-slim width of 8.5mm (0.33 inch). The black and slick design reflects the unmistakable style of Prada, the company officials noted.

Currently lagging in the smartphone race, LG Electronics officials said they hope the new high-end gadget will provide momentum to the company’s mobile device business next year.

By Monica Suk (monicasuk@heraldcorp.com)