We’ve gotten hold of our LG Optimus 3D review unit and are putting it through it’s paces. Having recently seen the HTC Evo 3D and had our nostalgia glands tugged by the recent release of Ocarina of Time on 3DS, we’re very much in 3D land right now.
We don’t just mention Nintendo’s 3DS in passing; our distinct first impression of the Optimus 3D is that LG looks to be selling this as a device for playing games on. There’s a ‘3D Games’ app (actually a shortcut to the Gameloft store), from where you can purchase 3D-compatible titles like Avatar and Assassin’s Creed, and 3D titles like Let’s Golf 2 and Spiderman: Total Mayhem came pre-installed.
There’s an entire 3D sub-section of the app launcher which is chocked full of 3D apps and games, as well as a dedicated ‘3D’ button on the side, which launches a nicely animated 3D carousel of app shortcuts, including one to the 3D YouTube channel.
So far, we’re impressed with the presentation of the Optimus 3D; it’s got a huge 4.3-inch touchscreen, brushed metal-effect accents on the side and feels solid and weighty.
You can toggle between 2D and 3D in the camera thanks to a dedicated button on the side when taking pictures on the camera, should you need to give your eyes a rest from the mind-bending/headache-inducing awesomeness of 3D. It’s an improvement from the early version we saw at Mobile World Congress back in February, that’s for sure.
Before we crack on with our review, here’s a quick look at what you get in the box plus some other hands-on snaps of the 3D camera app and a couple of games in action.
HDMI and USB ports are located round on the left hand side and are covered by a pair of dust covers. When they’re upright like this, they kind of make the Optimus 3D look like a mini wireless router.
The 3D button which toggles between 2D and 3D modes when you’re using the camera and also launches the ‘3D Space’ menu – more on that in a sec.
Volume rocker here on the right hand side of the Optimus 3D.
Innards shot of the LG Optimus 3D.
The supplied headphones are plenty comfortable and pretty decent – which can’t be said for a lot of the ear gear that comes bundled with phones.
Multi-part mains chargers with a USB cable are now the standard for mobiles – the days of proprietary chargers are thankfully behind us. When these things were a novelty, we’d make a big deal about including them in WITB? photos – we won’t be bothering so much now that these are the norm. Still, you get a couple of the black wormy cable ties included – bonus!
We took this shot at such an angle that the Optimus 3D’s camera viewfinder – in 3D mode – appeared to have a lenticular effect. It’s really difficult to convey the 3D effect through 2D images so we’ve done our best here. As with the Nintendo 3DS and HTC Evo 3D, you really need to see a 3D display in the flesh to appreciate the effect.
When recording 3D video, the maximum resolution is 1280 x 720. When recording in 2D however, the top res is 1920 x 1080. That little icon with the two rings – second down on the left – allows you to adjust the depth of field.
The depth of field can be adjusted when you’re recording video and afterwards as well. So if you’ve shot a video clip and the 3D effect isn’t quie working out for you, you can use the slider to tweak it until it starts tricking your eyes.
3D games on the Optimus 3D like Let’s Golf 2 here have a 3D toggle option as well.
Ditto Spiderman: Total Mayhem. It’s nice to have the option to switch between the two and give your retinas a break every now and then.
Speaking of which, the LG Optimus 3D thoughtfully reminds you to take a break from watching 3D content every now and then. It’s yet to be proven by science if prolonged exposure to 3D video will mean that you start seeing real-life 3D in four dimensions, the consequences of which are simply too terrifying to contemplate.
Tap that ‘3D’ hard key on the side of the phone when you’re not playing a game or using the camera – like when you’re on the homescreen for example – you’ll load up this 3D Space carousel. This gives you quick links to all of the 3D content on the phone in a nice rotating layout. It’s a bit unecessary, as you can simply access app shortcuts to all of these features from the launcher. But it does look pretty and has show-off potential.
Instead of the big show off 3D carousel, you could just use these normal app shortcuts instead. We like how that all 3D apps get their own separate folder in the app launcher, making it easier to access all of the cool stuff in one place.
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