LG Optimus 3D phone first impressions

THE LG OPTIMUS 3D smartphone is a smooth and responsive phone but it has varied 3D results and a narrow viewing window.

The INQUIRER was able to get its hands on the Optimus 3D for a quick test run at the CeBIT trade show in Germany. The phone was running Android 2.2 Froyo at the show but will be upgraded to Android 2.3 Gingerbread shortly after release and eventually will be available on the Three network.

The LG Optimus 3D feels nice to hold in the hand and has good build quality with a reassuring weight to it. The Android operating system coupled with the dual core processor make the phone fast and responsive. The screen is a nice size, bright and displays colours well.

The dedicated 3D menu looks nice and the 3D effect is fairly clear. However, much like the Nintendo 3DS screen, the viewing position is very small and effect gets distorted by a small tilt of the handset or movement of the head. We imagine that this would be particularly annoying when on the move.

The 3D effect is particularly poor in two areas, when taking 3D photos and gaming. The test photos that we took with the dual rear cameras were poor at best with the 3D effect causing the photos to look fake and in general they were quite uncomfortable to view.

Gaming produced a similarly bad result when we tested the driving game that comes with the phone. The 3D effect is viewable but the image quality is extremely poor and the 3D effect just isn't smooth in the slightest. A spokesman for LG did admit that the "gaming element of the 3D needed developing", so hopefully future titles will have dramatic performance improvements.

It isn't all bad in the 3D world on the Optimus and what is very impressive is watching HD 720p video in 3D on the phone. The playback is smooth and very enjoyable to watch.

The LG Optimus 3D is a high quality handset that works well and is easy to use. Some of the 3D features are great but others are almost pointless. With some development in certain areas improvements can surely be made, but the question remains as to whether the 3D effect will ever be usable on the move. µ