The Holographic RED Hydrogen Phone Just Got Major Improvements

Last summer, RED made a splash when they announced the amazing Hydrogen One smartphone with holographic capabilities. Since then, we’ve all been waiting for updates about the 3D, AR-capable flagship. Well, the wait is over and there’s good news and… bad news.

First, the bad news: RED announced that the Hydrogen One launch was postponed until August, a full year after pre-orders were opened!

The good news is that, when it hits the market, the beastly phone will offer 4-View video capture.

When first announced, the RED Hydrogen One was supposed to have a single rear camera, with the option to add a modular camera array for 3D video that could be converted into Red’s 4-View format. That format allows you to move your head to look behind or around objects like with a hologram.

Now, the Hydrogen One also received an upgrade to front and back cameras that you can use to shoot 4V video in real-time without having to buy other accessories. Sounds great, right?

At least if you don’t mind a lot of firmware upgrades, as this is uncharted territory for the company.

“We have never built a phone. No one ever tried to integrate a 4-view display in anything before. When we started this project we didn’t know any cell carriers or anything about the cell phone industry. When we launch… the product won’t be complete. There will be more firmware/software updates than any other phone ever made. We are learning as we go. Truly, we have no business entering this market,” said Jim Jannard, RED founder.

There’s still time to decide if you want to invest in this project until August. However, do take a look at the specs, they’re truly special:

• 5.7 inch, 2560 x 1440 screen with 2D, stereo 3D and 4-view holographic modes
• 4V video recording on front and back dual stereo cameras
• Qualcomm Snapdragon 835x processor
• 4,500 mAh battery
• Supports modular attachments and can be used as a touchscreen monitor for other RED cameras
• Titanium or aluminum chassis with textured edges for extra grip
• USB-C charging
• Dual SIM slots, microSD card slot
• Android OS