The web is buzzing with excitement as RED, a camera manufacturer, released details about the latest addition to its product lineup – Hydrogen One, a smartphone with a ‘holographic display.’ You might know RED from the super high end video cameras it makes that are used for almost every festival aftermovie.
Hydrogen One will be an unlocked phone operating on Android and the press release issued by RED touts the new features of the product will ‘shatter the mold of conventional thinking.’ The key innovation here is the 5.7” holographic display that will allow seamless switching between 2D, 3D, and holographic Hydrogen 4-View content. The device will also support interactive games and the viewing of VR/AR/MR media.The idea is to create a future for multi-dimensional media, which means the elimination of other wearable displays or glasses to enjoy these newer forms of media.
In addition to the holographic screen capabilities, RED also boasts that the phone will change the user’s media consumption experience with an algorithm that converts stereo sound into multi-dimensional audio similar to surround sound with headphones.
RED is a camera maker and as a testament to it’s quality, some films shot with their products include ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2’, ‘The Fate of the Furious’, and Netflix series ‘Stranger Things.’ International movies from India, Japan, and Hong Kong also use RED cameras for filming.
The high performance phone will include a system that allows attachments for shooting high quality images and videos. Hydrogen One owners will also be able to shoot HYDROGEN format holographic images, although the press release does not give details about what that entails. In fact, the press release makes bold promises about the capabilities of the phone’s functions but does not include much detail about the features.
There is no explanation on how the seamless switching between different formats will work, specifics about the holographic display, or what the Hydrogen 4-view content is. RED’s founder, Jim Jannard, said in a forum that there was no way to describe the holographic display except to see it personally.
With a starting price of $1200 going up to $1600 for the titanium version of the Hydrogen One, Jannard has a responsibility to fulfill the promises made in the press release. The phone is now available to preorder here and is scheduled to ship early 2018. The first shipment will include a token of appreciation for supporting the Hydrogen One and more accessories will be available at the time of the launch.
