Ever since Hollywood director James Cameron drew viewers into the fantastical world of Pandora in his award-winning Avatar on 3D, the world has been infatuated with the idea of three dimensional viewing. It?s been tried before and has failed miserably, but this time it appears that 3D is here to stay. Televisions boasting the technology are widely available and recently, the South Korean tech major LG Electronics introduced a sleek, slim and beautifully designed smartphone, which delivers an incredible 3D viewing experience.

Criticism of 3D technology has largely revolved around the need to use special glasses when watching 3D footage. But the latest LG phone has done away with the specs and made 3D mobile. The LG Optimus 3D Max phone packs a powerful viewing experience with an incredible performance. Its 2D to 3D Converter easily converts 2D content of any available media?videos, pictures, and games ?to 3D for your viewing pleasure. Just hit the 3D Hot Key on the side of the handset and let the magic begin. You can even convert your old 2D videos, photos and games into eye-popping and lifelike 3D contents with this device. It is possible to customise everything you capture on your phone either in 2D or 3D. The phone also boasts of a 3D video editor which allows you to edit your video footage in 3D in real-time, and a 3D Hot Key which allows you to quickly switch between 2D and 3D views.

Quite frankly, the phone has the smarts to match its looks. It is a true superstar in matters of its performance as well. The device?s big 4.3 inch NOVA display is fairly big to play a 3D game in or watch a viral YouTube video. As soon as I got my hands on the test unit for a product review, I latched it on to my Wi-Fi connection at home in order to check the 3D content available on the internet. I played some movie clippings from recent 3D blockbusters?Puss in Boots, Underworld: Awakening, Kung Fu Panda 2?and the phone provided a great surround sound listening experience that complement the 3D visuals perfectly.

Here is a rundown of some of its most significant features. The R30,500-a-piece device is the second edition of the world?s first 3D phone announced?the Optimus 3D?and it is sturdily built and amazingly fast. LG Optimus 3D Max has an enduring style perfected by an exquisite and durable finishing with comfortable and rounded contours. It is even slimmer than ordinary phones despite having a 3D camera module onboard. Despite its 9.98 mm slim and sleek design, the phone seems pretty solid in one?s hand.

The device runs on Android 2.3 and has an ultra powerful 1.2 GHz Dual Core Processor. The latter gives your games and video applications the ultra-powerful drive they need to operate at maximum speed. The 4.3-inch LCD on the Optimus 3D MAX comes with a 480 x 800 resolution, and is protected by a Corning Gorilla Glass. The combination of a large screen and better lighting allows for superior readability and greater comfort when viewing photos and videos. All keys are easy to feel and press, with good tactile feedback. The phone?s touchscreen is receptive to taps and swipes. There is a dedicated button on the right to launch directly the 3D content carousel, and switch the screen into 3D mode.

The two 5 megapixel cameras with LED flash in the middle are the crown jewels of the smartphone. The camera features are pretty solid with face detection, continuous autofocus, touch focus and geo-tagging all on board, along with preset scenes and effects. The phone has some pre-loaded 3D games, fun apps and an internal storage of 8 GB. I must admit that the LG Optimus 3D Max comes with a spacious storage capacity. This allows you to store your favourite contents right on your phone where you can always access it with ease and speed. The phone also allows you to push video content via MHL HDMI or wirelessly, thanks to DLNA.

It has become apparent in recent months that 3D technology has grown beyond being a buzzword. It is not just a trend which will pass with time. The number of products with 3D is increasing in quantity and popularity. Recent innovations like the new LG 3D Max phone have made 3D mobile and glasses-free. Watch the world go 3D with this phone!

SPECS

Dimensions: 126.8 x 67.4 x 9.6 mm

Display size: WVGA 480 x 800 pixels, 4.3 inches

Display type: 3D LCD capacitive touchscreen

Operating system: Android v2.3 Gingerbread

CPU: Dual-core 1.2 GHz Cortex-A9

Memory: 8 GB (internal); micro SD upto 32 GB

Camera: Dual 5 MP, 2592 x 1944 pixels

Weight: 148 g

Estimated street price: Rs 30,500