eWeek: mSpot offers 3D Movies on LG Thrill

Clint Boulton
eWEEK.com

To affirm its status as a 3D content enabler, LG and AT&T are preloading the Thrill 4G with 3D games, such as "Let's Golf 2" and "NOVA," the Gameloft 3D store, YouTube 3D and 3D movies from mSpot.

AT&T (NYSE:T) will sell the LG Thrill 4G, a high-end smartphone with a 4.3-inch WVGA 3D display that will let users create and share 3D photos and video this summer.

The No. 1 U.S. carrier did not reveal pricing for the Thrill 4G, which will launch with Google's (NASDAQ:GOOG) Android 2.2 operating system and be powered by a 1GHz dual-core, dual-channel RAM processor to allow for 3D content generation and consumption.

To affirm its status as a 3D content enabler, LG and AT&T are preloading the Thrill 4G with 3D games, such as "Let's Golf 2" and "NOVA," the Gameloft 3D store, YouTube 3D and 3D movies from mSpot.

All this content may be consumed without special 3D glasses, courtesy of the twin stereoscopic, 5-megapixel cameras. These shutters will allow users to shoot 720p video in 3D and capture 3D still photos, or shoot 2D footage in HD 1080p.

The Thrill 4G's video stabilization technology will correct any shake in captured content during recording. LG Users may also convert 2D content photos and videos into 3D by pushing a button.

Also, users will be able to port their pics and video clips to a larger computer monitor or TV screen via an HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) port and micro USB cable.

Finally, the Thrill 4G sports a front-facing camera for video chat, which will be accompanied by the Qik video chat application that is so ubiquitous on Android smartphone from Sprint and others. Qik will enable video calling over WiFi.

The LG Thrill 4G is the LG Optimus 3D the phone maker showed off at Mobile World Congress in February, albeit with branding tailored for AT&T.

While AT&T has yet to reveal pricing for the Thrill 4G, anything more than $199.99 on contract would be surprising and a gamble.

This is because Thrill 4G mirrors the HTC Evo 3D 4G launching on Sprint's network June 24 for $199.99 on a two-year contract. eWEEK just reviewed the Evo 3D 4G.

Both the Thrill 4G and Evo 3D 4G sport 4.3-inch screens and twin 5MP cameras for 3D photo and video creation and consumption, sans 3D glasses. Both come with 3D content preloaded, and both have front-facing cameras for video chat.

However, the Evo 3D 4G does leverage the Android 2.3 "Gingerbread" OS, which might lead AT&T to offer its device for, say, $179.99. The LG Thrill 4G will upgrade to Gingerbread later.

June 23rd, 2011