Let’s preface this by saying that, this mockup is highly unofficial and will most probably not even nearly represent what the final third-generation tablet from Apple will look like. That said, it is in line with several of the possible rumors for the iPad 3, including an edge-to-edge display that could be similar to the edge-to-edge we’re hearing for the iPhone 5.

But this display could be different. Yes, if the iPhone 5 rumors hold up, the edge-to-edge screen would mean virtually no bezel, as well as the absense of the physical home button. The two kickers here are that the display could be 3D, including 3D apps, and it could be AMOLED. The latter screams out a Samsung supply chain, but the two companies are still butting heads over other problems.

If this “iPad 3 mockup” really turns out to be representative of the final iPad 3 product, I’m sure even the non-iFans (myself included) will have to appreciate its beauty. Super thin chassis, edge-to-edge AMOLED 3D screen, A6 quad core processor? Stunning. Simply stunning.

The post Apple iPad 3 mockup emerges with 3D edge-to-edge AMOLED display appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

There’s a price to be paid when you want to be on the cutting edge of technology. These days, being on the cutting edge means something to do with 3D displays, and that’s where we find the LG Optimus Pad. We also find the astronomical price that comes with this new tablet.

The 3D-capable LG Optimus Pad will apparently get stuck with a hefty 999 Euro price tag when it hits German store shelves in April. That puts it at twice the price of an entry-level iPad, but more or less on pace with the Motorola Xoom (which has since reportedly broken the four-figure mark for price).

This announcement comes by way of Mobile World Congress 2011 in Barcelona and the Optimus Pad has specs that you’ve likely heard before. You’ll be doing the Honeycomb thing on the 8.9-inch 3D display. Unlike the Optimus 3D smartphone and the Nintendo 3DS, though, you will need special glasses to get the third dimension.

Considering that the Optimus Pad is the same as the G-Slate to be sold through T-Mobile USA, we have to wonder how much Old Magenta will be willing to subsidize this thing on a two-year data contract. Otherwise, you’ll be paying out of your teeth for this Android tablet.

The post LG Optimus Pad 3D (G-Slate) Tablet Priced At 999 Euro appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

LG is touting the device as the world’s first full 3D smartphone. This not includes the glasses-free 3D display, which will presumably use similar stereoscopic tech as the 3DS, but also a dual-lens camera in the back for taking 3D pictures (and probably videos too).

The leaked photo shown here, which comes to us by way of Phandroid, isn’t really confirmed, but it’s a reasonable assumption for what the final product will look like.

I’m still not really sold on this whole 3D thing just yet and I imagine the 3D creation with the Optimus 3D won’t be as good as Avatar (just like how most cameraphones aren’t as good as “real” cameras”), but this is a bold leap. Life’s good? We’ll find out soon enough. So much for the Optimus 2X and Optimus Black, eh?

[Gizmag]

The post Confirmed: LG Optimus 3D smartphone with glasses-free 3D at MWC appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

Having to wear special 3D glasses can be quite a hurdle in the world of 3D video adoption, especially when it comes to mobile devices. Even so, wouldn’t it be cool if you could have a smartphone with a 3D display? MasterImage 3D sure thinks so.

I met up with them on the trade show floor of CES 2011 to get a look at the working reference design of the glasses-free 3D displays for smartphones and tablets. They had a four-inch and a three-inch version, but they both work in fundamentally the same way. It uses something called auto-stereoscopic 3D technology and this is, in some ways, quite similar to the upcoming Nintendo 3DS.

So, how is it different? Whereas the 3DS uses bands or stripes for its 3D technology, the MasterImage 3D solution uses a “patented cell-matrix parallax barrier” with a “cell gap” approach. What does this mean? First, you get more accurate 3D reproduction and, second, you can actually switch between landscape and portrait modes. You can’t do that with the “stripes” of the 3DS.

The reference design that they had on hand was running on Android and a Tegra2 chip, but I don’t see why a manufacturing partner couldn’t opt for a different solution. The 3D tech at work can work on “any kind of display, from TFT to OLED< PDP and more."

In practice, I was able to get a pretty good 3D experience on the four-inch demo model. It is similar in scope to the 3DS in that the 3D-ness is like "looking into a box" rather than having images pop outward from the display. As you can imagine, viewing angles can be a little restricting (about 15-degrees of range at about arm’s length), but this is a personal device that you’ll likely be looking at straight on anyhow.

MasterImage 3D says that they are working on larger displays, in the tablet range of 7-inches to 10-inches for instance, but they refuse to put out an inferior product. Until they get it to “look great” on something bigger than 4-inches, they’re not going to do it. In any case, MasterImage 3D had no production partners to announce just yet, but I’d keep an eye on where they go from here.

[MasterImage 3D]

The post Hands-on with MasterImage glasses-free 3D mobile display appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

Hitachi to release 3D LCD for mobile devices

3D displays will soon be the norm, and I’m not talking about those expensive 3D TVs destined for living rooms and dens around the world, but 3D in the palm of your hand – without the need for funky glasses.

Hitachi Displays announced today the development of a 3.1-inch 3D LCD that is “optimized” for mobile devices. There’s a good chance that they’ll use it for cell phones and such, but the 3D-ness could be destined for gaming too.

We heard about the Nintendo 3DS was revealed last month, and it seems like this new 3D LCD from Hitachi could be used for that device.  The display has a 480 x 854 pixel resolution (“FWVGA”), a 1000:1 contrast ratio, and a 400 cd/m2 brightness ratio. The 3D imagery is “produced by the parallax barrier-based IPS panel.” I think this creates the illusion of depth into the screen rather than having images look like they’re popping out of the screen, but I could be wrong.

The post 3D LCD to hit mobile devices, Nintendo DS, courtesy of Hitachi appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

Nintendo 3DS announced in Japan

It seems that the next generation of Nintendo handhelds are entering a whole new dimension and it could be much more innovative than that bigger-screened Nintendo DSi XL. That’s because the Nintendo 3DS will feature a 3D display and you won’t even need some goofy goggles to make use of it.

This not just a rumor. Nintendo Japan has officially announced the Nintendo 3DS. If you’re expecting Avatar-style 3D where the objects leap off the screen, you’re going to be sorely disappointed. That’s not the 3D you’ll be getting here, from what I can tell.  Instead, from a best guess point of view, the Nintendo 3DS will an accelerometer.  In doing so, it can alter the perspective of the game to give the appearance of depth depending on the tilted angle it is held at. It’s like you are looking deep into the screen for 3D rather than having things come out of the screen. There may be more to it, but that sounds like the main 3D tech being used.

The rumors surrounding other features are plentiful. It will be backwards compatible with DS and DSi games, but it’s unclear whether it’ll have vibration feedback, or a higher resolution (720p) screen. There might be a Tegra chip and there might be a 3G SIM slot for over-the-air downloads.

A more formal unveiling will likely take place at E3 Expo this June.

Update: This is not a Nintendo 3DS demo but a DSiware title called Rittai Kakushi e Attakoreda.  It uses the DSi camera to detect how you tilt the system and uses “Head Tracking” technology.

The post Nintendo 3DS is the Nintendo DSi with a 3D display appeared first on Mobile Magazine.