AT&T's first 3D phone, the LG Thrill 4G, was a wise choice. The Thrill is the US version of the LG Optimus 3D, a phone that was well received in Europe. It has high end specs that include a dual core 1GHz CPU, a 4.3" 3D display, HD 2D and 3D video recording, a front camera for video chat and 4G HSPA+ 14.4Mbps. That's a lot of phone for $99 with contract. And we mean that in the literal sense too: the Thrill 4G is a relatively large smartphone that's as big as the 4.5" Samsung Infuse 4G, and is a bit larger than the 4.3" HTC HD7S Windows Phone.
The LG Thrill runs Android OS 2.2 Froyo, and it's upgradable to 2.3 Gingerbread, though we don't have an upgrade timetable. In fact, we're not quite sure when AT&T will release the somewhat delayed Thrill, but we're assuming it will be available in early September. LG uses their standard Android UI overlay, and it makes for a mostly pleasing experience. The phone has 8 gigs of internal storage and it comes with an 8 gig microSD card installed in the slot under the back cover. It has 512 megs of RAM and a 1500 mAh battery.
Beyond its relatively high end specs, the phone's claim to fame is its glass-less autostereoscopic 3D display and dual 5 megapixel rear cameras that can shoot 720p 3D video as well as 1080p 2D video, and it can shoot 3D and 2D photos. I haven't been a fan of consumer 3D, be it in phones like the HTC EVO 3D, tablets like the LG G-Slate or 3D TVs. The LG Thrill bucks that trend, and our staff and I actually found 3D video and photos so enjoyable it made the 2D stuff seem boring. As with other glass-less 3D mobile displays, you have to find the sweet spot and get accustomed to the 3D experience, but once we did we didn't feel queasy, dizzy or otherwise uncomfortable, despite on-screen warnings that precede 3D content that tell you to take breaks and not view 3D content for too long lest you feel uncomfy.
Beyond its relatively high end specs, the phone's claim to fame is its glass-less autostereoscopic 3D display and dual 5 megapixel rear cameras that can shoot 720p 3D video as well as 1080p 2D video, and it can shoot 3D and 2D photos. I haven't been a fan of consumer 3D, be it in phones like the HTC EVO 3D, tablets like the LG G-Slate or 3D TVs. The LG Thrill bucks that trend, and our staff and I actually found 3D video and photos so enjoyable it made the 2D stuff seem boring. As with other glass-less 3D mobile displays, you have to find the sweet spot and get accustomed to the 3D experience, but once we did we didn't feel queasy, dizzy or otherwise uncomfortable, despite on-screen warnings that precede 3D content that tell you to take breaks and not view 3D content for too long lest you feel uncomfy.
LG and AT&T pre-install a collection of 3D applications, and we like that; there's no wondering what to do with the phone's 3D capabilities. These include the 3D camera/camcorder, 3D Guide, 3D Space, Get 3D Games (a link to purchase more 3D games from Gameloft), 3D Games & Apps (a launcher for your 3D titles, that's redundant since they're already listed in the 3D section of the main app launcher), and several 3D games including Asphalt 6, NOVA 3D and Let's Golf 2. There's a Movies app that's powered by mSpot as well, but so far we see only 2D titles listed there. The only app that doesn't impress us in terms of 3D viewability is 3D Space, a 3D carousel of 3D apps and content including YouTube's 3D channel. The launcher is useful, but the 3D effect is poor, and that's a shame since it will be most users' first entry into the phone's 3D experience since it's on the home screen icon launcher bar.
Design and Ergonomics
As you'd expect from a smartphone with a 4.3" display, the Thrill is large and the viewing experience is excellent. This is a parallax barrier display, a 3D display technology, and it provides an average 2D viewing experience. It lacks the unreal colors of Samsung's Super AMOLED displays and contrast is average. Outdoor visibility is passable, and viewing angles aren't particularly good. The resolution is 800 x 480, a common resolution for mid to high end Android phones, and we wouldn't mind the even higher qHD. But 3D requires plenty of graphics power and at $99 we won't complain.
As with other autostereoscopic (the fancy word for 3D displays that don't require glasses) 3D handsets on the market, there's a limited sweet spot for viewing 3D content. Move the handset around and tilt it until you see a clear 3D effect, and all is good. The Thrill has an on-screen slider in all 3D apps that allows you to adjust the 3D effect level, and we liked it best at max, though your eyes may be different. We felt less eye fatigue with the LG Thrill than the HTC EVO 3D, but that said, I enjoyed it for up to 30 minutes at a time. Beyond that, and my eyes and brain did feel tired. That means feature length movies are best viewed with rest breaks, but watching that 5 minute 3D video you just shot with the camera isn't a problem. Keep in mind that the phone's UI and non-3D apps are presented in good old fashioned 2D, so your eyes won't suffer, but you also won't see that "wow" effect everywhere.
The phone looks like a larger version of the T-Mobile LG G2x, and that's not a bad thing. The front is dominated by the glass display with brushed metal top and bottom bezels. The soft touch back finish feels great in the hand and it doesn't attract as many fingerprints as glossy plastic backs. The 5.9 ounce phone feels solid and weighty, and the metal accent strip on the back gives it a more interesting and quality look. The strip also highlights the dual camera lenses that are set well apart (by phone standards) for better 3D capture.
The LG Thrill 4G has micro USB and micro HDMI ports under rubber covers, a 3.5mm stereo jack and a 3D hardware button on the side that launches the 3D app launcher and switches between 2D and 3D modes when using the camera. The small power button is up top, and the microSD card slot is under the back cover. There's no need to remove the battery to access
As you'd expect from a smartphone with a 4.3" display, the Thrill is large and the viewing experience is excellent. This is a parallax barrier display, a 3D display technology, and it provides an average 2D viewing experience. It lacks the unreal colors of Samsung's Super AMOLED displays and contrast is average. Outdoor visibility is passable, and viewing angles aren't particularly good. The resolution is 800 x 480, a common resolution for mid to high end Android phones, and we wouldn't mind the even higher qHD. But 3D requires plenty of graphics power and at $99 we won't complain.
As with other autostereoscopic (the fancy word for 3D displays that don't require glasses) 3D handsets on the market, there's a limited sweet spot for viewing 3D content. Move the handset around and tilt it until you see a clear 3D effect, and all is good. The Thrill has an on-screen slider in all 3D apps that allows you to adjust the 3D effect level, and we liked it best at max, though your eyes may be different. We felt less eye fatigue with the LG Thrill than the HTC EVO 3D, but that said, I enjoyed it for up to 30 minutes at a time. Beyond that, and my eyes and brain did feel tired. That means feature length movies are best viewed with rest breaks, but watching that 5 minute 3D video you just shot with the camera isn't a problem. Keep in mind that the phone's UI and non-3D apps are presented in good old fashioned 2D, so your eyes won't suffer, but you also won't see that "wow" effect everywhere.
The phone looks like a larger version of the T-Mobile LG G2x, and that's not a bad thing. The front is dominated by the glass display with brushed metal top and bottom bezels. The soft touch back finish feels great in the hand and it doesn't attract as many fingerprints as glossy plastic backs. The 5.9 ounce phone feels solid and weighty, and the metal accent strip on the back gives it a more interesting and quality look. The strip also highlights the dual camera lenses that are set well apart (by phone standards) for better 3D capture.
The LG Thrill 4G has micro USB and micro HDMI ports under rubber covers, a 3.5mm stereo jack and a 3D hardware button on the side that launches the 3D app launcher and switches between 2D and 3D modes when using the camera. The small power button is up top, and the microSD card slot is under the back cover. There's no need to remove the battery to access
Performance and Horsepower
The phone runs on a 1GHz dual core OMAP processor, and it both feels fast and benchmarks well. It scored 2676 on the Quadrant benchmark, putting it among the fastest dual core Android phones. It scores an excellent 70 MFLOPS on the multi-thread test in Linpack. App launching, UI navigation and Adobe Flash 10.3 playback and 2D/3D gaming are all excellent. The phone performed well outputting HD video content via HDMI to our HD TV, and like many LG phones, it supports the DivX format in addition to MPEG4. Even if you're not interested in 3D, the Thrill 4G is worth considering for its performance, large display and 4G data speeds. Despite the fast CPU, the phone managed good runtimes, and with average use we had no problem making it through the day and night on a charge. 3D drains the battery more quickly, especially 3D recording.
The phone runs on a 1GHz dual core OMAP processor, and it both feels fast and benchmarks well. It scored 2676 on the Quadrant benchmark, putting it among the fastest dual core Android phones. It scores an excellent 70 MFLOPS on the multi-thread test in Linpack. App launching, UI navigation and Adobe Flash 10.3 playback and 2D/3D gaming are all excellent. The phone performed well outputting HD video content via HDMI to our HD TV, and like many LG phones, it supports the DivX format in addition to MPEG4. Even if you're not interested in 3D, the Thrill 4G is worth considering for its performance, large display and 4G data speeds. Despite the fast CPU, the phone managed good runtimes, and with average use we had no problem making it through the day and night on a charge. 3D drains the battery more quickly, especially 3D recording.
