At the height of all the hype surrounding 3D’s comeback, we were treated to several smartphones with 3D displays, such as the HTC Evo 3D and the LG Optimus 3D. It wasn’t a surprise to find the 3D effect was little more than a flashy gimmick, and neither phone set the mobile world on fire.
Tablets didn’t escape the 3D makeover either, but in the case of the LG Optimus Pad 3D, you still needed to wear glasses to see 3D content, something which wasn’t needed using the phones. Now, nearly three years after the Optimus Pad came out, the world’s first glasses-free 3D tablet has been announced.
Appropriately enough, the tablet can be found in the pages of Hammacher Schlemmer’s catalog, alongside other such wondrous products as the Flying Motorcycle, and the Golf Cart Hovercraft. The name isn’t quite as eye-catching as these dream machines though, as the manufacturer has simply chosen, “The No Glasses 3D Tablet.” Still, there’s no confusion over what it does.
To create the glasses-free 3D effect the tablet uses a parallax barrier, which is the same technology seen on the Nintendo 3DS, so it should at least be pretty effective provided you’re holding it in the right position. It’ll play both 2D and 3D content, and will also convert 2D into 3D images. The screen measures 8-inches, and has a 1280 x 800 pixel resolution, making it lower than most upper-range Android tablets available.
The processor powering the device is a mystery, but it does have 16GB of internal memory, a microSD card slot, Bluetooth, and apparently comes with a wireless keyboard case too. The tablet runs Android, but there’s no KitKat love here, and owners will have to make do with 4.1 Jelly Bean. The spec is closed out with a worryingly basic pair of cameras, 2-megapixels on the rear, and 0.3-megapixels on the front.
The price for all the glasses-free 3D enjoyment is an eyebrow-raising $350, so you’re going to need to really love 3D, and really hate wearing glasses to justify buying one. If that’s you, it’s expected to ship just before the new year.
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