After teasing a high-priced handset with holographic display, this is what its near-final form looks like.
Known originally for making top-shelf cameras, electronics company RED is now dipping into smartphones with the Hydrogen One.
While we haven’t learned too much about RED’s ambitious phone besides its equally ambitious $1,195 (about £925, AU$1,575) price tag, a video breakdown courtesy of Marques Brownlee gives us a better visual of RED’s Android-powered superphone.
While features like the Hydrogen One’s touted holographic display were blurred out, the prototypes shown off do clue us in on other details like the phone’s size, layout and a few other features.
For one thing, the Hydrogen One is not kidding around in terms of size. A side-by-side comparison of the handset dwarfs even the iPhone 7 Plus. Simply put, those looking for a pocket-friendly phone need not apply.
That serious size does look like it can support some equally serious hardware though, as one prototype showed off the Hydrogen One’s potential for modular add-ons, including a high-quality image sensor attached where the One’s original dual-camera setup was.
Also adding to the One’s camera background are its aesthetics. Absent are the sleek buttons, trimmed bezel and polished body enjoyed by the likes of the HTC U11 or Samsung Galaxy S8 and instead come in painted button icons, large rubberized grooves, and a stocky build reminiscent of a DSLR camera or the rugged Cat 560.
Given RED’s pedigree for professional-level cameras and accessories, we can see the One potentially becoming a hit with cinematographers on-the-go. However, given RED’s reputation for bringing said tech for near-inaccessible prices, the company’s foray into the smartphone market could be a rocky one.
