LG Thrill 4G Review

Introduction:

The first announced 3D phone was the European LG Optimus 3D, but here in the US, it’s actually the HTC EVO 3D that’s spreading the word regarding the novel feature into the minds of consumers, as it hit Sprint's shelves a couple of months ago. Very soon though, AT&T’s variant of the Optimus 3D - the LG Thrill 4G - will follow the same path, but unlike its rival, its allure is found elsewhere outside its 3D capabilities. Instead, it’s aiming to win over the hearts and minds of people by simply tantalizing them with its superior on-contract price of $99.99. Regardless of that, will it be enough to lure people in and wholeheartedly accept the novel 3D features?

The package contains:

• LG Thrill 4G
• microUSB Cable
• Wall Charger
• 8GB microSD card
• Quickstart Guide
• microHDMI Cable

Design:

Not surprisingly, the LG Thrill 4G is an almost exact facsimile to its European counterpart with the exception of its obvious AT&T branding in the rear. Nowadays, its industrial design is undeniably commonplace at this point, but despite that, it’s still one solidly constructed handset. By today’s standards though, its overall size makes it feel unwieldy at times and doesn’t quite come off as compelling to some of the razor thin designs incorporated by the heavy hitters in the big leagues.



You can compare the LG Thrill 4G with many other phones using our Size Visualization Tool.

Easily considered its attention grabber, the Thrill 4G’s 3D display appears to be slightly better than the one on the HTC EVO 3D – mainly due to its better viewing angles. With most things 3D-related, our eyes need a tiny bit of time to adjust and recognize the 3D effect, but in the end, it works well. However, we’d recommend limiting the amount of time gazing at it since our eyes tend to fatigue after prolonged usage. So yeah, the whole 3D things works rather well, and you definitely get that sense of depth with things.

Without a doubt, the 4.3” LCD display is undoubtedly plentiful, however, after checking out some of the competition sporting qHD resolution, the WVGA (480 x 800) one in use with the Thrill 4G doesn’t come off as astounding on paper anymore. It still  produces a decent amount of detail and poppy looking colors. Also, its great viewing angles allow it to maintain its appearance, though, its brightness output is still lacking and ultimately requires us to shield it from the sun.

As for everything else, it sports all the same buttons and ports that we normally find. Still, the notable things that stand out from the rest are the two camera lenses in the rear, which allow it to shoot 3D photos and videos, and the microHDMI port that easily connects the handset to a big screen television. Plus, we have to give kudos to it because the handset is packaged along with an HDMI cable – something that you rarely see happen.

Interface and Functionality:

With its demanding 3D features, there’s a 1GHz dual-core TI OMAP4 processor with 512MB of dual-channel memory toiling away internally to provide the horsepower needed to get this beast running smoothly. Displaying an instantaneous response with most functions, there’s absolutely nothing that this handset can’t execute smoothly.

However, we’re bummed by the fact that it’s still running Android 2.2.2 Froyo from the onset. Nevertheless, that doesn't take away from the overall platform experience as it runs the same customized interface we’ve been seeing used by other recent Android powered smartphones from LG’s camp. And unlike the HTC EVO 3D, the LG Thrill 4G manages to offer a totally separate 3D interface to showboat its stuff – and it’s definitely a nice addition! If you want to learn more about the handset’s functionality and interface, please check out our in-depth review of the LG Optimus 3D.


Messaging on the 4.3-inch screen is a breeze with plenty of space for the buttons, so your fingers can type essays worth of text free of errors. That won't protect you from misspelled words, though, as by default the spell checker is turned off. Threaded conversations are also supported, while for emails you get LG's own simplistic interface.


Being an AT&T bound smartphone and all, it’s naturally packed with the usual suspect of AT&T branded apps – like Live TV, myAT&T, AT&T Code Scanner, AT&T FamilyMap, and AT&T Navigator. As for other preloaded third party apps, they include Amazon Kindle, Qik Lite, YPmobile, Polaris Office, Asphalt 5, Nova, and Lets Golf 2.

Camera:

Sadly, it appears that nothing has changed with the handset’s quality with shooting photos and videos. For something that has a lot of potential, its still shot results produce soft details, bland colors, and poor dynamic range – making it revolting to even accept at times. Conversely, the same can be said about video capture as it continues to be glaring with its garish details and noticeable evidence of artifacting when panning. Fortunately, its 1080p video recording shoots at the consistent rate of 29 frames per second, and that audio recording is distinctively clear.

Of course, there’s the novel feature of shooting content in 3D, and without a doubt, it’s amazing to see the various levels of depth as they’re viewed on its 3D display. Clearly, its 3D effect is prevalent and is easily regarded as one of its most defining characteristics – however, details are noticeably degraded versus its 2D capture. Nonetheless, we’re very accepting of the results since it’s able to capture visuals that are filled with things popping in and out of the scenery. And it simply just works!

LG Thrill 4G Sample Video in 3D:



Multimedia:

In portrait, its music player is mainly straightforward with its presentation, but turning it to landscape, we greeted with a very different, yet invigorating looking carousel interface. Furthermore, its audio output with its internal speaker is pleasant to the ear as it produces robust tones that don’t crackle at the highest volume setting.

Raving about its very good looking display already, the handset has no problem in running high definition videos. Specifically, we’re able to play a movie trailer encoded in DivX 1920 x 1080 resolution without much fluff – and it helps that it plays buttery smooth.

In addition to the 8GB of internal storage available with it, there’s an 8GB microSD card preloaded as well to provide a total storage amount of 16GB. Well, if that’s still deemed as paltry, you can always replace the card with others up to 32GB in capacity.

Internet and Connectivity:

The LG Thrill 4G beats our expectations as it’s able to load complex web sites in no time at all. Actually, we’re smitten with awe as it’s able to produce average download and upload speeds of 6.0 Mbits/s and 1.5Mbits/s respectively. Not only is it the fastest we’ve seen to date from AT&T’s camp, but its overall web browsing experience is supplemented by the fantastic performance consisting of responsive navigational controls and Flash support.


Just like its European sibling, the LG Thrill 4G is a GSM phone that’s able to work in almost every corner of the globe. Its 3G UMTS/HSPA radio however is not usable in Europe, so you will be locked to 2G speeds if you go on a vacation across the pond. Along for the ride as usual, it features other connectivity items like Bluetooth, 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, and aGPS.

Performance:

Strangely, the LG Thrilll 4G is plagued by muffled voices through its earpiece and speakerphone, which proves to be challenging in comprehending length conversations. Luckily, our callers on the other end of the line have better luck seeing that they’re greeted with clear and audible voices.

During our testing, we didn’t experience any major fluctuations with signal strength in high coverage areas within the greater Philadelphia area. However, we find it absolutely frustrating to find consistent dropped connection with its mobile hotspot functionality – meaning, Wi-Fi devices connected to it unexpectedly lose their connection to the handset.

Taking into account its beefy hardware and 3D aspects, it isn’t going to be forgiving with battery life. Rightfully so, this is the kind of handset that you’ll need to charge as often as you can since it eats battery like no other. With normal usage, which primarily consists of texting, web surfing, and the occasional phone call, we’re able to get close to the 10-hour mark before completely dying.

Conclusion:

When it comes down to value, there’s no denying that the LG Thrill 4G exudes plenty of it from head-to-toe as it combines all of the lovely features found with any high-end smartphone on the market – plus, it’s tastefully complemented by its 3D capabilities. To tell you the truth, we still can’t take our eyes away from its $99.99 on-contract pricing because it’s not too often we see handsets of this caliber launching from the start with something so tantalizing. As we’ve seen, it doesn’t hit the high mark in all categories, but it’s a bit more forgiving due to its competitive pricing. We believe it has more pros than cons for this price, so it’s a no-brainer decision to pick this one up if you’re into the whole 3D thing.

Software version of the reviewed unit: LGP925-V10a-JUN-17-2011
Android Version: 2.2.2
Build number: FRG83G
Kernel Version: 2.6.35.7

LG Thrill 4G Video Review: