3D on mobile has gone quiet, but the problem is less to do with tech than old-fashioned software support, says Softtalkmobile.
At Mobile World Congress, Jim Michel, LG’s UK and Ireland general manager, found himself being asked pointedly by a BBC reporter: “What on earth is the point of 3D [on a mobile phone]?”
Michel then gave a little demo of the LG Optimus 3D device. Despite the reporter’s ‘technology jaded’ tone – no doubt the result of having MWC ‘new’ technology thrust at him every minute of the day - the BBC ran the story on its website. The Optimus is quite impressive and delivers – literally – an added dimension that is quite funky.
It received a fair bit of media coverage probably based on its novelty value, but it’s too early to speculate on sales as the device only went on sale in Europe in the summer.
However, since then the 3D mobile scene has gone quiet. But is a breakthrough in 3D mobile gaming set to happen soon? The Nintendo 3DS gaming console might offer a pointer. Initially sales were sluggish when it was launched in early March but that’s hardly surprising given a hefty price tag, a poor battery life and a lack of software.
But since then the 3DS software library has grown and prices have plunged from about £225 to around about £130. As a result sales have shot up to a respectable 6.68 million and are expected to climb a fair bit further over the Christmas period.
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Playing 3D games and watching videos on mobile devices is far more compelling than 2D. If you haven’t tried it yet, give it a go. It’s well worth it. And 3D momentum seems to be slowly gathering pace. The HTC EVO 3D is another recently released step into this new dimension. It’s got a whopping 4.3-inch screen which should give 3D mobile fans a good fix.
But where’s the software? There are a few 3D games out there for phones but it’s still early days. Software is like air for 3D fans who will look to snap up these devices. They must have a constant supply to survive. If they don’t, their knees will buckle and they’ll collapse, starved of nourishment. In short, it’s a market that is not currently being served.
‘A couple of 3D mobile phones does not a booming market make,’ I hear you say. True. But 3D in general is experiencing an upward surge. Hollywood’s relentless blitz of 3D films is making standard 2D films about as appealing as a flat tyre; 3D TV sales may not have hit the giddy heights that manufacturers were hoping for – but they will according to some analysts; and next year’s Olympics are getting the 3D makeover with the opening ceremony and some events broadcast in wrap around 3D.
It all adds up to a trend that is gathering pace and a nascent market that is currently underserved even if this is understandable. It often takes time for the software deluge to follow the platform launch.
Ultrabooks are the next big thing – just about every manufacturer is turning them out and they’re set to storm the market. It won’t be long before software specifically designed to utilise their powerful features appears. So for early movers there’s certainly a big 3D opportunity just waiting to be taken.
* This blog post is written by Softtalkmobile, and is sponsored by the Intel AppUp developer program, a single channel for distributing apps to multiple devices, multiple operating systems, and multiple app stores.
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