LG Optimus, the world's first 3D smart phone

Consumer Reports News: February 14, 2011 02:08 PM

LG Optimus 3D smart phone
Photo: LG Electronics

At the Mobile World Congress 2011 in Barcelona, LG Electronics officially took the wraps off its Optimus 3D, a smart phone it says provides viewing and recording of high-def 3D images, and without glasses.

The phone features a dual 5MP lens camera, a 4.3-inch WVGA display LG says to view multimedia content in 2D at up to 1080p and 3D at up to 720p. The Optimus's 3D Hot Key is claimed to have five user interfaces that support 3D, including Gallery, Camera, Game&Apps, YouTube 3D and 3D Guide.

Captured 3D content can be shared with a 3D TV or monitor via an HDMI 1.4 connection or beamed wirelessly (though not in 3D or 1080P) to any compatible with DLNA compatible device. Users can even upload their videos to YouTube's dedicated 3D channel.

The Optimus, it's promised, will also offer better Web browsing, faster multitasking, and more responsive game play its "Tri-Dual" configuration, which consists of a dual-core 1GHz processor, a dual-channel and dual-memory architecture.

The LG Optimus 3D will be rolled-out globally starting with Europe early in the second quarter, though no time frame has been given for an U.S. debut. The phone will initially be released with Android 2.2 (Froyo) and will be upgradeable to Android 2.3 (Gingerbread). The upgrade schedule will be announced in local markets in due course.

As a mobile device capable of displaying 3D images that can be viewed without glasses, the Optimus joins the Nintendo 3DS gaming device, which we saw at last month's Consumer Electronics Show, where we also viewed prototypes of glasses-free TV sets.

—Mike Gikas