Glass-free, 3D smartphone unveiled in Shenzhen

Shenzhen-based SuperD Co Ltd unveiled a glass-free, 3D smartphone on Tuesday, intensifying competition in the Chinese smartphone market as the company aims to march into the top 10 list of smartphone makers in market share within a year.

The 5.5-inch ivvi K5 comes with two cameras, one for traditional photos and videos and the other designed especially for a 3D feature.

The special eye-tracking camera is able to present optimal 3D images by tracking and capturing the position of users' eyes based on their pupils, the company said.

That enables users to enjoy high-quality 3D effect freely, instead of dealing with the difficulty of looking for a suitable view angle.

The company has also formed partnerships with a number of content providers, offering nearly 1,000 3D movies and hundreds of 3D games on the smartphone, it said.

Exterior changes do not necessarily mean real transformation, said Li Bin, chief executive officer of ivvi, which was acquired by SuperD last year.

"Only making differences from the interior could bring fundamental changes," he said, highlighting that the launch of the new product signals a technological revolution in the smartphone industry from the 2D era to 3D.

The 3D display technology, which was initially applied to television, has been used more and more in smartphones. According to official statistics, 3D smartphones took up 29.8 percent of the global 3D display market in 2016 and the percentage is expected to increase further to 32 percent this year.

The newly-launched smartphone will be available for sale Wednesday, with a price tag of 2,199 yuan.