Abstract Comparative theoretical analysis of performances of three electrically variable liquid crystal lens designs is conducted. Traditional hole patterned electrode, additional floating and inner-ring electrode configurations are considered within the framework of a modal control lens. The control mode of those electrodes and the choice of the voltage and frequency values of the driving electric signals are optimized to obtain spherical profile of the optical phase retardation across the entire clear aperture of the lens. This would allow the effective use of the tunable lens in combination with larger aperture fixed focus lenses. It is shown that we can improve significantly the acceptable (with low aberrations) dynamic variation range of the optical power of the lens by switching the control mode of electrodes.