It’s fair to say that Samsung Galaxy S 2 and the LG Optimus 3D don’t get any more cutting edge. But 3D or not 3D, that is the question. The LG Optimus 3D is one of the first phones to make use of an auto-stereoscopic display, which allows users to experience three dimensional imagery without the need for potentially embarrassing goggles.
Could this tip the smartphone race in the Korean manufacturer’s favour, or is it nothing more than a cheap party trick in the face of the Samsung Galaxy S 2’s gorgeous Super AMOLED Plus screen? Join us as we grab our bucket of grossly-overpriced popcorn and take our front-row seats for the Android battle of the decade.
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Screen
With the new breed of Android superphones, 4.3-inch screens are practically the norm now. Both the Samsung Galaxy S 2 and the LG Optimus 3D boast displays of this size, and they also share the same resolution of 800×480 pixels – not quite up to the pin-sharp standard of the iPhone 4’s retina display, but bloody good regardless.
Both screens are bright and colourful, with Samsung’s Super AMOLED Plus only just bettering LG’s IPS tech. However, the big difference between these two handsets should be obvious from the names.
The LG Optimus 3D employs the same parallax barrier technology seen in Nintendo’s 3DS console, and allows you to experience a 3D image without the need for special glasses. It’s undeniably impressive, but the narrow ‘sweet spot’ required to actually appreciate the effect is annoying, and it drains your battery quicker than Amy Winehouse guzzles a bottle of tequila.
Operating System
The Samsung Galaxy S 2 is running Android 2.3, also known as Gingerbread. This is the latest mobile edition of Google’s world-beating OS and comes with all kinds of neat tricks, the most notable being support for NFC, which allows seamless wireless data transfer for contactless payments and the like.
Bizarrely, LG has opted for Android 2.2 – AKA Froyo – for the LG Optimus 3D. While Froyo is by no means a slouch in terms of features, it’s arguably last year’s software, and we’re puzzled as to why the company decided to ship what is arguably its flagship phone without Gingerbread. An update is of course promised, but the fact of the matter is that right now the Galaxy S 2 is running a more advanced OS than LG’s challenger. It may not matter right now, but a few months down the line it may well do.
Under the hood
With a dual-core 1GHz CPU, the LG Optimus 3D is more than up to the demands of modern smartphone games and apps. It also comes with an impressive 8GB of internal storage, which offers a large amount of room for downloads, photos and music. You can also boost this figure with MicroSD cards.
However, the Samsung Galaxy S 2 manages to comprehensively trump its rival in pretty much every regard. It’s also sporting a dual-core CPU, but this one runs at 1.2GHz. Internal storage is offered as well, but in more muscular 16 or 32GB flavours. Should this prove to be insufficient for your data storage needs, you can also chuck a MicroSD card into the phone for even more space.
Camera
While the five megapixel sensors (two of them!) on the Optimus 3D do impress, they’re still no match for the Samsung Galaxy S 2′s 8MP shooter when it comes to stills. They’re a much more even match when it comes to sucking down full HD video however: the Galaxy S 2 sets the bar here, but the Optimus 3D still wows. That’s the power of dual-core processors for ya.
Samsung Galaxy S 2:
LG Optimus 3D:
Verdict
We’ll admit to being reasonably impressed with the LG Optimus 3D’s fancy new display, and the twin cameras allow you to take proper 3D photos, too. However, it doesn’t take long for the novelty to wear off. When it does, you’re left with a rather portly smartphone running Android 2.2. In practically every other regard the Samsung Galaxy S 2 out-guns its 3D rival, and when you place the phones side-by-side it’s clear which one you’d rather take to the prom. Samsung’s phone is desirable and cool, while the LG Optimus 3D’s girth will likely only appeal to those with big, beefy paws.
