3D

As for the distinct qualities this Froyo-based phone may possess apart from the Optimus 3D, there are a small few we could see. As we alluded to, the Thrill 4G doesn't skimp on the preloaded apps -- the usual suite of AT&T services apply, as well as Kindle, YPmobile, Polaris Office, Qik Lite and Let's Golf 2 (we have a strong suspicion that nobody's actually played the first game in the series). The device also offers the stock Android keyboard in addition to LG's customized version.An in-depth look at the global edition's hardware and software can be found in our Optimus 3D review , so head over to see all the extra details.Okay, we'll come right out and say it: 3D still feels like a gimmick. Not everyone drinks the three-dimensional Kool-aid, and even we have mixed feelings when it comes to the subject. Disregarding the polarizing effect it has on all of us, the phone's talents in this area were the most fun for us to review simply because it's a truly unique spec that's offered by only one rival in the US of A: the HTC EVO 3D. Naturally, the two are destined to lock horns with each other, as they're the only handsets that offer this defining feature. Which one comes out as conqueror? Is there even a clear winner? We took both phones for a spin to get a full side-by-side comparison; interestingly enough, the unique quality the Thrill and EVO share are actually significantly different. Let's explore how.Both devices offer glaringly obvious differences in this category. For starters, the EVO offers a two-stage shutter button and a hardware toggle that allows you to easily switch between 2D and 3D modes whenever you feel the need to get another angle. The Thrill? Oh, it has something that looks an awful lot like a shutter button -- complete with "3D" inscribed in plain sight -- but it carries the burden of two separate roles, neither of which involve taking the picture. In the camera app, this button acts as the 2D / 3D toggle switch; outside of the camera, however, it takes you to a 3D menu screen that offers your various three-dimensional apps in the form of a Sense 3.0-esque carousel (more on that in a moment). The camera is one of the menu options, but alas, it's one more step between you and snapping a picture.The Thrill 4G's 3D menu can come in handy... sometimes. As we mentioned before, you're taken into a carousel that attempts to make use of the glasses-free parallax barrier display by having the selection "float" above the screen. You can choose between the camera, gallery, games and apps, YouTube and a 3D guide. Having these options incorporated into one cleverly designed folder is nice, but we doubt it's essential enough to dedicate an entire physical button to its cause; the same menu can be accessed by a default icon on your home screen, should you have the desire to check it out. No such feature exists on the EVO, though every option is still accessible in one way or another through the phone's app tray (YouTube 3D vids, for instance, are viewable in the regular app).In addition to the hardware buttons, the EVO 3D also has a camera quick-access button on the lock screen. When a really opportune moment comes along -- as it often does -- drag the camera into the ring at the bottom of the screen, and you're in. The Thrill, on the other hand, doesn't have such an option; your best alternative is to put the camera app icon on your home screen. That's not a terrible thing, obviously, but it's one extra step in the process -- a step that the EVO can easily bypass.Viewing 3D images and videos can be a completely different experience on each device, and we can't say with a surety that one was better than the other. Shots taken with the EVO had a much more realistic appearance that make it appear as though the image really is popping out of the screen -- if you can align your eyes with the screen at the precise angle, that is. The Thrill, on the other hand, offers a broader angle and more variable distance by which you can achieve the 3D effect, but it takes a more "layered" approach; instead of the image sticking out of the screen, it's as if one section of the picture has been pulled out of the picture slightly and is simply floating. It still has that third-dimension feel, but we could definitely tell a difference. Check out the galleries below to see for yourself; if you don't have a 3D display to view them on, however, you'll want to have a pair of glasses handy.