RED Explains How Hydrogen One’s Holographic Display Actually Works

At the beginning of last month, RED (known for its cinema cameras) released their first smartphone. They even opened pre-orders, although the Hydrogen One phones are set to hit the market in the first half of 2018. Since it’s the company’s first take on a smartphone, attracting customers would have been a challenge, RED realized. So, they’ve come up with a pretty special incentive – a “holographic” display. Until now, we didn’t know what that entailed; fortunately, RED disclosed some precious details regarding the technology behind the display #mobilemagic

RED revealed that they’ve partnered up with a startup named Leia Inc. in a recent press release. Leia started as a spin-off from HP’s research laboratories in 2014 and has developed “a complete lightfield “holographic” display solution for mobile devices, through proprietary hardware and software.”

The display works through diffraction, generating a lightfield illumination with a layer of nano-structures that are added afterwards to a conventional LCD. That said, it shouldn’t compromise battery life or the quality of the display when it’s not used for holographic purposes. When it is, though, the screen attempts to project 3D objects so the user can see them from different angles, depending on its position in regards to the device.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGR03TzZONA

That sound fun, but is it viable? After all, content is king. If RED and Leia can’t provide appropriate content for their tech to make sense in today’s mobile landscape, Hydrogen One might be a flop. So far, they’re seeing its use while watching movies, playing games and even sending messages on social media platforms.

If you want to take the risk, head to their website. RED Hydrogen One is currently up for pre-order at $1,195 (aluminum) or $1,595 (titanium).