LG Optimus 3D Review

LG Optimus 3D – glasses-free 3D

Do you really need 3D on your phone? Of course you don’t, but it’s one heck of a cool gimmick. As with the Nintendo 3DS, the LG Optimus 3D offers glasses-free 3D and it works uncannily well. 

LG Optimus 3D vs Nintendo 3DS

There are games on board that showcase the handset’s talents, and 3D videos can look astonishing, but as on the 3DS, you can reduce or switch off the 3D effect if you’re feeling sensible. The two camera lenses on the back shoot 3D stills and video; you’ll figure out which subjects suit 3D best (hint: images with depth are good). The results, which you can play back on the phone or a 3D TV, can be very impressive.

Full HD?

The screen equals that of the Sensation and Galaxy S II, but the Optimus 3D feels bulkier than its rivals. The overall design is nice, and remarkably restrained: there are no physical buttons at all on the front. Unlike most of its rivals, it has a miniHDMI-out port, which means that it only takes a moment to connect it to a 3D TV. And while the 3D footage is limited to 720p, you can shoot video in plain old 2D at full 1080p resolution. 

Optimus 3D Android 2.3 upgrade

With a dual-core processor, it’s fast and responsive, although it doesn’t keep up with the Galaxy and Sensation, and at launch it comes with the dated Android 2.2; an upgrade to 2.3 is promised. The browser is quick and looks great, as you’d expect on a display this big, and Flash videos play smoothly. LG’s Android overlay is fairly superficial, consisting of handy icons for phone, contacts, messaging and applications added to the base of each screen.

As the world’s first glasses-free 3D smartphone, there’s no doubt that the LG Optimus 3D has something unique while the large touchscreen offers top-notch picture quality. However, the bulky chassis and the inclusion of the dated Android 2.2 OS keep LG’s 3D-friendly handset from gaining a five-star rating.