Models show off LG's new 3D phone at the Mobile World Congress 2011 show in Barcelona. (LG Electronics)
LG Electronics unveiled Monday the world's first full 3D smartphone, called the Optimus 3D, alongside a new tablet at an event on the sidelines of Barcelona's Mobile World Congress (MWC).
With the Optimus 3D, consumers will be able to watch 3D videos without wearing special glasses -- and capture 3D content via a special double camera on the back of the phone.
"For users to be able to create content will be paramount to reach a critical mass in 3D content," said Daniel Hernandez, LG's director of product marketing in Europe. "We believe this phone will act as a catalyst to create the 3D mobile industry."
In order to make it easier for consumers to share 3D content online, LG said it struck a partnership with popular online video channel YouTube.
The Optimus runs on Google's Android operating system and has a 4.3-inch screen.
All handset makers attending MWC -- the telecom industry's largest annual event -- said they were focusing heavily on the fast-growing, lucrative smartphone market. In 2010, smartphone shipments surged 67 percent, according to Strategy Analytics.
"2011 is the year when LG becomes a key contender in smartphones," LG chief executive Jong Seok Park said in his address.
Although LG has long had a solid presence in so-called feature phones, it came to the smartphone market later than competitors like Taiwan-based HTC.
Also on Monday, LG unveiled new tablet the Optimus Pad, which weighs 654 grams and has an easy-to-hold 8.9-inch screen.
Monday's launches complemented LG's high-end portfolio for 2011. In January, the group announced two other smartphones -- the Optimus Black and the Optimus 2X.
Read more about the LG Optimus 3D at MarketWatch.
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