Disruptor in Chief, Jim Jannard, the Founder of the hugely successful Oakley and RED Digital Cinema companies, is looking to shake up a new industry. RED has announced and is taking pre-orders on what is described as “holographic media in your pocket”. This comes in the form of a smartphone to be known as the “Hydrogen One”. Details are still somewhat scarce, but that didn’t stop boatloads of RED devotees from ordering units sight unseen with an advance payment of $1,200US for the aluminum version and $1,600US for the titanium model.
What we do know so far is that it will run on an Android OS, have a 5.7-inch screen, a USB-C charging port and expandable storage. It is designed to view 2D/3D VR, AR, and MR in both portrait and landscape modes. We also know that it is not lenticular technology, which is the more common solution for any kind of glasses-free 3D.
I was a very early adopter of the RED One, (my first was serial number 30), and although there were some frustrations, it did deliver on its somewhat incredible promises, (albeit sometimes a little behind schedule). The Hydrogen One is said to begin shipping in the first quarter of 2018, but with this kind of display technology, the proof is in the pudding, so I’ll wait this time before jumping back on the RED bandwagon.
However, as Jim Jannard emphasizes, anyone who doesn’t like what they see is welcome to a full refund. While it is true that there were a couple of RED products announced that never fully materialized, such as the RED Ray, (on which I also put down a deposit), and a 4K Laser projector, the company does have a pretty good track record of delivering game changing products, so although I’m not ready to plunk down a deposit, I wouldn’t bet against them.
Product details are available here:
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