PhoneLon

If you’ve been watching the FIFA 2010 World Cup (and if you haven’t, why not!?) chances are you’ll have come across one of Sony’s advertisements for their new range of 3D HD TV’s. Sony are clearly keen to throw their weight behind the technology having recently rolled out an update to their PS3 home console to enable 3D gaming in future releases. Nintendo are also in on the act having recently unveiled the successor to their hugely popular DS handheld; the Nintendo 3DS which promises glasses-free 3D gaming. In short, all areas of consumer electronics appear to be hopping on the 3D bandwagon so the all important question is, will the mobile industry be next.

Pioneers of screen technology Samsung are once again first off the mark officially unveiling the Samsung W960 AMOLED 3D but is this a niche product destined to remain confined to the far east? Well, before you dismiss the technology as a mere novelty in a mobile phone, it’s worth pointing out that the 3D display on the W960, much like Nintendo’s new handheld console, doesn’t require 3D glasses so you don’t have to look like an 80’s geek to enjoy 3D on your phone. Samsung aren’t the only mainstream manufacturer exploring the possibility of 3D mobile phones; Motorola are also rumoured to be working on a 3D touchscreen device with the MT810 Android device that has been spotted in Asia.

What of the other mainstream manufacturers? Could we see a Nokia Symbian 3D device in the not too distant future? With Apple embracing HD in the iPhone 4, could Apple’s next device support 3D technology? Will HTC replace the HD2 with the HD 3D? The answer is, we don’t know but the question that could very well have an impact on whether manufacturers invest time and resources into 3D mobile phones is do customers actually want 3D technology in their next mobile phone? Our first instinct was probably much like most of yours; one of indifference to the idea but what did spike our interest was the prospect of what some talented app developers could do with 3D technology.

We’ll be watching the release of the Nintendo 3DS with interest to see the public’s reaction to portable 3D technology and whether it has a place in future mobile phones.

Samsung have announced the worlds first ever phone to feature a 3D display and better still, users won’t have to don a pair of retro specs for the 3D element to work. But, before you get too excited, it’s time for the bad news; Samsung’s 3D touchscreen phone is destined exclusively for Korea. Disheartening to say the least, but every cloud has silver lining and it’s worth remembering that cutting edge tech that debuts in Asia often finds its way onto these shores.

The Samsung phone, which goes under the model number W960 sports a 3.2 inch AMOLED capacitive touchscreen display which promises to look pretty stunning in it’s own right thanks to WQVGA resolution (though not quite hitting the heights of the Super AMOLED Samsung Wave). The W960 gets really exciting when you activate 3D mode (via a dedicated 3D button) and your multimedia content jumps off the screen and into the third dimension.

Other specs of this CDMA phone include a 3.2 Megapixel camera, 3G connectivity, Bluetooth, a MicroSD card slot and a DMB-T TV Tuner (a favourite in Korea). The W960 is powered by Samsung’s proprietary TouchWiz user interface so sadly no Android or even Bada on board but then again, this is the first ever 3D phone so we’re willing to cut Samsung some slack. Keep an eye on the blog for more information and here’s hoping Samsung decide to bring the W960 west in the not too distant future.