LG Optimus 3D Max P720 review: Remastered

Introduction

It's been almost a year since the release of the original Optimus 3D from LG, and in that time we've been watching 3D technology continue to evolve. Undoubtedly you've seen the changes in your local cinema, and even your living room, if you happen to have a 3DTV. While it still hasn't permeated every aspect of our reality as in Total Recall or the likes, it's at a stage of budding infancy. Since the Optimus 3D, LG have been the only big-name manufacturer to stick to their guns in the 3D smartphone market. There's been nothing official about a potential EVO 3D sequel by HTC and it's a safe bet to say that the cutting-edge of mobile 3D technology can be found in the Optimus 3D Max.

LG Optimus 3D Max official photos

It's hard to look at the 3D Max apart from its 3D viewing and recording capabilities - after all, it has 3D in the title. But beyond that, the phone can present some solid credentials, even by today's standards. There's the dual-core processor, dual-lens 5MP stereoscopic camera, as well as full HD capabilities. It's not as loaded as some of the latest flagships, but it's got enough power to run whatever you throw at it without a hitch.

With the 3D Max, LG has improved on the original we saw last year while choosing to keep most of the internals the same.

Key features

• Quad-band GSM and 3G support
• 21 Mbps HSDPA and 5.76 Mbps HSUPA
• 4.3" 16M-color capacitive LCD stereoscopic touchscreen of WVGA resolution (480 x 800 pixels)
• Android OS v2.3 Gingerbread with LG 3D UI
• Dual-core 1.2GHz ARM Cortex-A9 proccessor, PowerVR SGX540 GPU, TI OMAP4430 chipset
• 1 GB RAM
• 8GB internal storage
• Dual 5 MP autofocus cameras, LED flash; stereoscopic 3 MP pictures, face detection and geotagging
• 1080p@30fps video recording, stereoscopic 720p@30fps videos
• Gorilla Glass 2
• Wi-Fi b/g/n and DLNA
• GPS with A-GPS
• Stereo FM radio with RDS
• microSD slot up to 32GB
• Accelerometer, proximity sensor and an auto-brightness sensor
• Front facing camera with video calls
• Standard 3.5 mm audio jack
• microUSB port (charging) and stereo Bluetooth v3.0, MHL TV-out
• Smart dialing, voice dialing
• DivX/XviD video support
• Polaris Office document editor
• Innovative gesture controls
• Dolby Mobile and SRS sound enhancement

Main disadvantages

• Runs Gingerbread
• Less than impressive camera performance
• Still limited third-party 3D apps market
• Questionable outdoor performance
• Not the best dual-core performance,
• Got rid of the microHDMI port, MHL instead

With such similar specifications, you're not going to see much difference from a hardware standpoint. That said, the Optimus 3D Max is 2mm thinner and 20g lighter than its predecessor, and when held in hand, it feels noticeably less bulky than the original. The 3D Max now looks more like an "ordinary" smartphone. The camera bump of the original Oprimus 3D is gone and, with a pleasantly textured back panel, the Max has a much more streamlined design. Considering the minor upgrades, LG has done well to make it a standard-looking package with an extra bonus, rather than a huge device that looks like it must do something special.

LG Optimus 3D Max live pictures

Enough spoilers - join us after the jump for the actual hardware tour.