LG Thrill 4G Review: More 3D Promise than Perfection?

BUILD & DESIGN

The Thrill is a bit bigger than average for smartphones; it's nearly as large a footprint as the Samsung Infuse, and significantly thicker at about a half an inch total. But as you'll see, it packs in a lot of stuff for that bulk.

For the most part, it's a basic design. The large front hosts both the screen and the touchscreen-based navigation buttons. Along the top left, under two small flaps, are the micro-USB port and a standard mini-HDMI connector. LG is nice enough to include a mini-HDMI cable right in the box, so you don't have to find one. On the back, you have not one but two camera lenses, for creating 3D photos and video... more on that later.

Under the battery cover is where we find the SIM card slot and MicroSD slot. For a change, the MicroSD card can be accessed without removing the battery. The Thrill comes with 8 GB of internal memory--although only 5.5 of that is available to the user--as well as an 8 GB MicroSD card pre-installed, for about 13 gigs available right out of the box. That's pretty generous for an inexpensive phone.

Screen
The Thrill is the first phone to promise glasses-free 3D on AT&T. So far, the 3D fad hasn't invaded smartphones very much, so we've yet to see whether it's popular, but LG is taking a shot that it will be.

Obviously with the Thrill, the biggest questions about the screen are, does the glasses-free 3D screen work, and if so how good is it? The first answer is that yes it does. When held right, the 3D apps create a very obvious and pronounced 3D effect. It's not just the perception of a raised button here and there, but a fully mobile and deep visual quality.

The downside though is equally simple. The 3D effect the LG Thrill gives you is, basically, an optical illusion based on how your eyes perceive the screen. That means, in this case, that the image it produces tends to look more flickery and insubstantial than the screen's 2D image, and your eyes have a hard time focusing on it. Not to mention the perceived image quality itself is kind of rough, more like looking at an LCD from twelve years ago than a modern screen. It's fun to play with no doubt, but I can't say that I would choose to use it on a regular basis.

I also have to say I experienced a definite twinge in my eyes almost every time I started up the 3D mode. It might just be me, but then again I don't have a major history of eyestrain. So this might be an additional downside.

It's a pity, because when used in "normal" 2D mode, the Thrill's screen is very nice. Crisp, clean, and at 4.3 inches and WVGA (800 x 480), it's even fairly comfortable for typing. In fact it strikes me as being well above average, with great brightness. That just doesn't translate over to 3D mode.

Other Buttons & Controls
The only button the Thrill features besides power and volume is a button to bring up the 3D launcher, a carousel allowing you to choose between 3D apps.