If it's broke...FIX IT!

Reorganizing Internal Process...

If you recognize this ominous pop up message then it's likely you too have been stung by the haphazard calamity that is the LG Optimus 3D's Gingerbread update. Now I personally have championed LG in the past but let me tell you now, that ends here.

I bought the Optimus 3D. I wasn't given it. I didn’t win it. I bought it because I truly believed the 3D on this device was more than just a gimmick. I believed that it was a step forward for mobile devices and a somewhat significant one at that. For me the fact the phone sported a dedicated 3D space signified the leap forward hand-held tech had made and that anything could be possible for a mobile device, the only thing standing in the way being time. Hell I wrote an earlier blog post defending the thing!

More fool me.

For all it's 3D Prowess, none of it matters if the device can not perform it's basic functions without mishap. This all became evident after the long awaited update to Android 2.3 Gingerbread. Firstly let me say that the wait for this update was A LOT longer than LG promised it's consumers and that it's US counterpart, the Thrill 4G, is yet to see hide nor hair of Gingerbread. This however may be a blessing in disguise for our chums across the pond as since updating to Gingerbread this phone has been nothing short of reprehensible.

It's less the device than it is LG themselves. How could such a large manufacturer release an update with such a huge flaw? Well it's easy really. All you have to do is simply not give a flying f*ck about customer satisfaction.

For all those who don't know what I'm talking about, it's the so called 'Ghost Calls' in which, apparently for no reason whatsoever the phone decides not to register incoming calls nor let you dial out unless you completely remove the battery and reboot. After doing this you are then hit with message after message of missed calls that you were never made aware of from people who couldn't reach you because your phone is a steaming pile of horse sh*t!

I have missed important calls today because of this thing. I'm getting rid of it. It disgraces not only LG but also taints my Android experience. It's a shame really as there are great manufacturers out there who really do there best to ensure that Google's OS runs as smoothly as possible. LG is not one of them. Failing to even acknowledge the problem of these ghost calls let alone release an urgent patch to fix it highlights the cold apathy that this company exudes.

F*ck it! I'm off to finally buy a Windows phone :)

The Third Dimension

The LG Optimus 3D (Thrill 4G to our US cousins) was not a bad phone. Hell, I'll admit it. I actually got one. The tech world dismissed it's 3D capabilities as nothing more than a gimmick, which it undoubtedly was, however I've always felt that the feat of bringing dedicated 3D space to a mobile device had always been overlooked. I know that HTC also brought out their EVO 3D but on that device the 3D functionality always seemed a lot more tacked on than it did on the Optimus 3D, not to mention the 3D itslef was of poorer quality.

I've always felt LG have received pretty rough treatment from the mobile press. They may not be as flashy as Apple or Samsung but where others see 'Generic' I see 'Subtlety.' The company has never shied away from heavy hitting devices and has kept their high-end hardware consistently up to date and exciting (if not always perhaps aesthetically pleasing.) Perhaps this is why the Optimus 3D was overlooked. Perhaps people simply saw the name LG and never really got excited about the prospect. Or maybe it's the simple fact that with all the 3D films and 3D TV's being released, the world is suffering from overexposure to the third dimension.

The whole 3D movement has become synonymous with a tacky add-on and perhaps for people to see it as anything more on mobile devices it would take a company like Apple, instead of LG or even HTC to pioneer the idea. I say Apple because the media and consumer alike seem to genuinely believe it every time the folks down at Cupertino tell them that they're revolutionizing the entire technological infrastructure…again. If Apple had started the 3D bandwagon on mobile phones, the landscape of mobile 3D might be very different today.

Apple's 3D tech

That said, looky here. It seems Apple have filed a patent for their variant on mobile 3D technology and wouldn't you know it, they've invented 3D! Well apparently it's a new kind of 3D tech that is capable of gauging depth and displaying a 3D environment based on the user's eye movement. This apparently will also lend itself to the actual UI.

Now believe it or not I have nothing against Apple themselves and I applaud advancement and progression and feel they genuinely do innovate with the majority of their products. My gripe is with the public perception of Apple as saviors of techdom but I'll get into that another time. All I'm saying is that if when Apple do 3D, everybody starts raving about how it's the greatest thing since Natalie Portman I will be a very unhappy individual.

LG Optimus 3D 2

For those of you still interested in the good old fashioned parallax-barrier 3D display however, shots have indeed been leaked detailing the LG Optimus 3D 2. The chassis is reported to be a mere 9.8mm thin. I personally had no problem with the original Optimus 3D's size as I appreciate a bit of heft to my devices (It makes me feel like it wont snap in half if I look at it the wrong way) but I'm sure there are those of you that will adore this change. The display is also rumored to be a high-resolution IPS-LCD. My guess is the device will make it's official debut at MWC at the end of the month.