ZTE showed off a glasses-free 3D tablet at Mobile World Congress and it gave me a headache.
By Eric Zeman
(Credit: Eric Zeman)
BARCELONA—One of the many products ZTE announced at Mobile World Congress stood out: Its 3D Android tablet. The Nubia Pad 3D II relies on the power of AI to help generate 3D content on the screen—and it works without requiring special 3D glasses.
Old-timers in the mobile tech industry may recall a small frenzy about 3D-capable phones back in the vicinity of 2011. The HTC Evo 3D boasted stereo cameras and was not only able to capture 3D photos, but to display them on its screen. It was not a hit.
(Credit: Eric Zeman)
Fast forward to 2024, and hardware makers are at the 3D game it again. ZTE showed off the Nubia Pad 3D II at its booth in Barcelona and at first glance, the tablet looks pretty neat. It’s a fairly well-specced device. It’s got a 12.1-inch, 2.5K display with 2,560 by 1,600 pixels and a 144Hz refresh rate. It’s powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor and comes equipped with plenty of RAM and 512GB of straoge. Toss in the 10,000mAh battery, some cameras, DTS:X Ultrasound, and you’ve got yourself a solid entertainment slate
In order to create the 3D effect, the screen uses liquid crystal lenses and rapid AI processing algorithms to render 3D images and video. ZTE says the AI assistance means an 80% improvement in the 3D resolution and a 100% boost in the 3D brightness. AI is able to help optimize crosstalk, color, and power efficiency all at a rapid speed. The result is better-looking 3D with an exceptionally wide 86-degree viewing angle. 
(Credit: Eric Zeman)
In person, the effect is quite good. The demos I saw at the Mobile World Congress included photos, videos, as well as several apps. The tablet can take your 2D content and render it in 3D quickly and with a unique and entertaining effect. The wide viewing angle means you don’t have to stare at the tablet directly, as was often the case with older 3D screens, and it works completely without any special type of eyewear.
Whether or not you can stare at the screen for hours to watch a movie is another story. My eyes quickly felt strained looking at the screen and I walked away from the experience with a mild headache. Your experience may be different. But hey! 3D tablet!
