LG Launches Second-Gen Optimus 3D Max Smartphone in Europe

Korean manufacturer LG (066570:KS) has announced today that is is starting the global roll-out of its second-generation 3D smartphone, the Optimus 3D Max. The handset was first seen at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona earlier in the year, but today it launches in Europe with other regions to follow later. At 9.6mm thin, it’s a slimmed-down successor to the LG Optimus 3D that was released in July 2011.

The 3D debate is still a fairly heated one in many circles [1], but LG appears confident that its glasses-less 3D mobile experience offers value for consumers. The company’s president and CEO, Dr. Jong-seok Park, explained:

We are deliberately pushing the limits of mobile entertainment innovation with the Optimus 3D Max. This device has evolved significantly … Our second generation glasses-free 3D smartphone is as thin and light as any other high-end smartphone while still de-livering a spectacular picture in either 2D or 3D.

The camera has two five megapixel lenses on the back, which can be used to shoot both 2D and 3D stills and video. You can playback 3D media on the phone, or connect to a 3D-capable TV or monitor. The Optimus Max, like the original Optimus, uses a parallax barrier on the display in order to deliver a 3D image, which I believe is the same approach taken by Nintendo with its 3DS.

The full spec sheet is below for the Optimus 3D Max is below, as well as a video demo from MWC 2012. If any of our readers owned the previous version of the Optimus 3D, his us up in the comments and let us know whether or not 3D capabilities have kept you interested over the past year.

Specifications:

• 1.2 GHz dual-core processor
• 4.3-inch 3D WVGA display
• 8 gigabytes of on-board storage, support for microSD
• 1 gigabyte of RAM
• cameras: 2 x 5 megapixel on rear, VGA on front
• running Android 2.3 gingerbread (with an upgrade to 4.0 hopefully coming later)
• HDMI out for TV or monitor, up to 1080p resolution
• NFC support