The last couple of years have seen a resurgence in the popularity of 3D technology, largely due to Hollywood movie studios cracking down on movie piracy by offering something that the pirates cannot replicate. While many have seen the resurrection of 3D glasses at cinemas as little more than a gimmick, there is no denying that with recent technological improvements 3D has become hugely popular again. So much so that it is now migrating to other areas of the technological and entertainment world.

3D TVs have been on the cards for a while now and Samsung and LG are aiming to sell around 10 million and 5 million units respectively in the coming year. This is perhaps a natural transition from 3D cinema and one that people have long dreamed about but technological limitations have prevented from becoming an actuality. What has been less expected is the transition of 3D technology to smartphones and touchscreen tablets so soon.

LG is the first company to announce entrants into these markets which comes as a surprise to many as LG have typically lagged behind in the smartphone industry. As well as releasing the first dual core smartphone, the LG Optimus 2X, LG is also set to release the first 3D smartphone with the LG Optimus 3D. One of the most notable things about the Optimus 3D is that, unlike 3D cinema and LG's 3D enabled Optimus Pad, it does not require 3D glasses to function properly. This is good news as there are perhaps not many people who would be willing to walk around with 3D glasses in order to use their phone, but it does mean that the 3D technology might not be quite as 3 dimensional as 3D cinema.

Another excellent feature found on the Optimus 3D is its dual 5 megapixel cameras. While this can record an exceptional 1080p HD video in 2D, it is also the first smartphone camera to come with 3D video recording and at a very high quality of 720p. In fact, this alone could make the Optimus 3D the best camera phone available on the market today. The Optimus 3D can also capture stereoscopic photos, about as 3 dimensional as you can get with a static image. Like its Optimus 2X sibling, the Optimus 3D is also afforded a dual core processor making it one of the speediest phones available.

LG has also been keen to get into the tablet market, which has been making great strides since the release of the Apple iPad in 2010. Initially seen as little more than a gimmick, the touchscreen tablet has for some reason gone on to become an essential item for many people. Most non-Apple manufacturers have opted for Android as their OS of choice and there has been little to differentiate each device from its competition but LG's debut tablet does truly offer something new with its 3D technology. Unlike the Optimus 3D, the Pad comes with 3D glasses making its 3D technology comparable to that of 3D cinema. It also has another advantage over earlier Android tablets by featuring Android Honeycomb, which is the first version to be designed with tablet use in mind.

With the introduction of 3D technology to home TVs, and now smartphones and tablets it won't be long before movie pirates are able to produce their own 3D copies of Hollywood blockbusters and the big film studios will be forced to find a new technological gimmick to get bums on seats. In a way this can only be good news because whatever they come up with there is a high chance that this will also make a transition to handheld electronics. For now though, LG appears to be at the forefront of this new technological horizon and it just remains to be seen whether it is just a gimmick or goes on to become a ubiquitous feature of mobile phones.