Last month, RED, a cinema camera manufacturer teased their first smartphone — the RED Hydrogen One.
The company has revealed nothing but a single product image, and a couple of odd features. As per RED, it looks like the RED Hydrogen One will be a smartphone that’s formed from the company’s roots. It is said to feature a lot of cameras, more specifically, video recording feats just like what their main product does.
Furthermore, one feature that they are highlighting is its “holographic display”. RED has given just a few bits about the device, yet they managed to have it on a pre-order status. What’s more bizarre is, they are asking USD1,195 to USD1,595 for a slightly mysterious device.
But the mystery is starting to unfold as the company tapped Marquees Brownlee (also known as ‘MKBHD’), a prominent tech YouTuber, to help them showcase what they have at the moment.
In a released video, MKBHD showcased several hardware prototypes of the device. There’s one that showcases the design and builds, while the holographic display feature is presented in a different module. This means that RED still has a lot to figure out regarding the Hydrogen One.
The design itself looks exactly the same as the initially released render. However, the handset is noticeably large and bulky as per Brownlee. The RED Hydrogen One is even taller and wider than the iPhone 7 Plus. The sides also have some notches that improve the grip.
The back panel was also wrapped in kevlar, which is said to improve antenna signals. We’re also seeing RED’s actual logo here, with a cut out that looks like a jewel. We’re also seeing some pins at the bottom for the expected modular accessories, just like the Moto Mods. And on top, there’s a dual-camera setup.
The RED Hygrogen One will also feature a lock/power switch at the left side that doubles as a fingerprint scanner. We also have a USB Type-C input and 3.5mm headphone jack, a dedicated video recording button, and quite possibly stereo speakers on the front.
Since any camera can’t really give a justice to how it looks, Brownlee demonstrated the device’s holographic display feature with words. The YouTuber said that it does provide “crazy, deep, sort of 3D look.” but then added that it “definitely wasn’t perfect”.
And for the finale, Marquees showed a prototype of a phone-shaped module that has its own image sensor. This can be the first modular accessories that will support the RED Hydrogen One. The attachment looks enormous, with its lens taking up a majority of space at the back. This is probably due to the large sensor that’s behind it.
Basically, that’s it for now. As per Marquees, the company will work on the next 30-40 days to have the holographic display and the actual body working in one hardware.
Source: Marquees Brownlee / YouTube