LG Optimus 3D
If you've ever wondered how you can watch 3D movies on your smartphone and capture and share 3D home video clips, then the LG Optimus 3D is almost definitely for you. However, if you're not into the whole 3D thing in a big way, then the Optimus 3D is almost definitely not for you.
The unique selling proposition of the Optimus 3D is that it can both capture and play back 3D video. On the back of the Optimus 3D are twin cameras, and on the front is a clever display that apparently allows you to view 3D content without glasses.
The 4.3" touchscreen display is highly impressive. LG say that users can view 3D video of up to 720p resolution on it, or 2D video of up to 1080p resolution, although the screen itself is only a 480 x 800 pixel panel. We have absolutely no idea how the 3D works on this Optimus.. we suspect it's something to do with witchcraft.
On the back, the dual-lens 5 megapixel cameras are also capable of 720p 3D recording or 1080p 2D recording. 3D video can be played back via the Optimus 3D's HDMI port or DLNA, or alternatively uploaded to YouTube's upcoming 3D service.
All of this 3D stuff requires a lot of processing power, and under the hood LG certainly seem to have delivered. Not only is the Optimus 3D a dual-core device with a 1GHz TI OMAP4 CPU, but is also has a dual-channel and dual-memory configuration to boost performance even more. The large 1500 mAh battery should help keep the Optimus 3D going, and the handset also supports "near 4G" HSPA+ downloads and uploads which could be handy for viewing 3D content on the move, if you can afford to pay for the data that is.
At launch this will be an Android 2.2 device with an upgrade to 2.3 promised soon. It is an Android phone, so there are plenty of applications available for it and it can do a lot more than just 3D.
It's all very clever - but will it sell? The problem is that in Europe in particular, demand for 3D at home is very low, with some figures indicating that significantly less than 1% of UK households own a 3D TV. And the Optimus 3D itself, even with the relatively large screen isn't going to give you the 3D experience of watching Avatar at the cinema. And although YouTube 3D might give things a boost, you'd still need a 3D capable PC, and there aren't many of those around either.
The LG Optimus 3D is certainly one of the most impressive smart phones that we've seen to date. But we don't think that there is a significant market for such a device at the moment.. and it isn't cheap either, retailing for between €650 to €700 at launch in Q2 2011.
If you've ever wondered how you can watch 3D movies on your smartphone and capture and share 3D home video clips, then the LG Optimus 3D is almost definitely for you. However, if you're not into the whole 3D thing in a big way, then the Optimus 3D is almost definitely not for you.
The unique selling proposition of the Optimus 3D is that it can both capture and play back 3D video. On the back of the Optimus 3D are twin cameras, and on the front is a clever display that apparently allows you to view 3D content without glasses.
The 4.3" touchscreen display is highly impressive. LG say that users can view 3D video of up to 720p resolution on it, or 2D video of up to 1080p resolution, although the screen itself is only a 480 x 800 pixel panel. We have absolutely no idea how the 3D works on this Optimus.. we suspect it's something to do with witchcraft.
On the back, the dual-lens 5 megapixel cameras are also capable of 720p 3D recording or 1080p 2D recording. 3D video can be played back via the Optimus 3D's HDMI port or DLNA, or alternatively uploaded to YouTube's upcoming 3D service.
All of this 3D stuff requires a lot of processing power, and under the hood LG certainly seem to have delivered. Not only is the Optimus 3D a dual-core device with a 1GHz TI OMAP4 CPU, but is also has a dual-channel and dual-memory configuration to boost performance even more. The large 1500 mAh battery should help keep the Optimus 3D going, and the handset also supports "near 4G" HSPA+ downloads and uploads which could be handy for viewing 3D content on the move, if you can afford to pay for the data that is.At launch this will be an Android 2.2 device with an upgrade to 2.3 promised soon. It is an Android phone, so there are plenty of applications available for it and it can do a lot more than just 3D.
It's all very clever - but will it sell? The problem is that in Europe in particular, demand for 3D at home is very low, with some figures indicating that significantly less than 1% of UK households own a 3D TV. And the Optimus 3D itself, even with the relatively large screen isn't going to give you the 3D experience of watching Avatar at the cinema. And although YouTube 3D might give things a boost, you'd still need a 3D capable PC, and there aren't many of those around either.
The LG Optimus 3D is certainly one of the most impressive smart phones that we've seen to date. But we don't think that there is a significant market for such a device at the moment.. and it isn't cheap either, retailing for between €650 to €700 at launch in Q2 2011.
