LG Optimus 3D review

Not even mobile phones are immune to the march of 3D, the technology fad of the moment. LG’s Optimus 3D handset is the first smartphone we’ve seen with a 3D display. Like its chief rival, HTC’s Evo 3D, you don’t need a pair of glasses to view 3D images on the screen, as it uses Nintendo 3DS-style parallax barrier technology.

Compared to the last LG Android handset we saw, the Optimus 2X, the Optimus 3D looks and feels much more like a polished premium handset. It’s very large, though, measuring 129x68x12mm and weighing a huge 168g. That’s 20g heavier than the HTC Sensation, which was one of the biggest phones we’d seen when we reviewed it in What’s New, Shopper 283. It’s still 2g lighter than the Evo 3D, though, which we’ve yet to review.

The Optimus 3D’s 4.3-inch, 480×800-pixel display takes up almost the entire front of the device, with just a hint of brushed faux-metal plastic above and below the display to finish off the look. The four touch-sensitive Android navigation keys sit neatly below the display. The back panel is composed entirely of matte black plastic – it all adds up to a subtle and stylish handset.

As you’d expect, LG is keen to help you experience the display’s 3D capabilities, so it has included a range of applications under the title ‘3D Space’. These work well, giving you direct access to YouTube 3D, 3D Games, 3D Guide and 3D Camera mode all from a single click of the ‘3D’ hardware key on the bottom-right of the phone. 3D Space has a spinning 3D user interface popping out of the screen. From here, you have the option to play and download 3D games (Asphalt 6, Nova, Let’s Golf! 2 and Gulliver’s Travels are included, and are great fun in three dimensions), read tutorials on how to use your 3D camera, view 3D images and watch content on YouTube 3D.