Affiliate links on Android Authority may earn us a commission. Learn more.
Red’s “holographic” Hydrogen One smartphone delayed until August
- The Red Hydrogen One smartphone has been delayed to August 2018 from its previous “summer” ETA.
- Red founder Jim Jannard announced the delay in a forum post, providing two reasons for the delay.
- Red has faced trouble organizing a simultaneous carrier launch for the device, but has also added native 4-View recording capabilities.
Red’s upcoming smartphone, the Hydrogen One, has been delayed until August 2018. The “holographic” device had already been delayed to this summer from Q1 2018, but Red founder Jim Jannard confirmed yesterday it would take a little longer.
Jannard made the announcement in the Red forums (via CNET), outlining two reasons for the delay and stating that he is “quite sure it was the right decision.”
Firstly, Red is trying to organize a simultaneous carrier launch for the device that is said to have proven “pretty tricky.” Jannard said the final release date would ultimately be decided by carriers.
Secondly, and this is probably good news in the long run, Red has decided to include 4-View (4V) video capture as a native Hydrogen One feature.
“Now, with a lot of hardware and software work (which created a good portion of the delay)… you shoot 4V real-time on the phone both sides,” wrote Jannard. “You monitor your cameras in 4V. You can Face Chat in 4V realtime. You can post 4V immediately.”
The ability to film in 4V was previously going to be available only through the use of a dedicated $750-$1000 accessory. Jannard also noted that regular 2D shooting would remain an option.
The Hydrogen One is cinema camera company Red’s first smartphone, previously up for pre-order for $1,295-$1,595. The device is set to launch with a 5.7-inch QHD screen that can display images in 2D and 4V — i.e. as a holographic image that pops out from the display — without special glasses.
If it works as described, the Hydrogen One will no doubt be a groundbreaking device. As with any such first-generation tech product, though, it may not be the whole package when it first lands.
“When we launch… the product won’t be complete. There will be more firmware/software updates than any other phone ever made,” Jannard wrote in a post last month.
In case all of the above hadn’t made it clear: further Hydrogen One delays are eminently possible. For more information on the confirmed Hydrogen One specs — hit the link.