If you were paying attention last year you’ll recall RED, the camera maker who produces some top notch kit used to film all the big Hollywood blockbusters announced they were making a phone. Due to be released in Q1 this year, there’s been no sign of movement until the founder of RED, Jim Jannard took to their forums to talk about the phone.
The forum post actually spills a few details on the upcoming $1,200USD ($1,595USD if you want Titanium) handset including that it will be running a Snapdragon 835 processor under the hood.
Mr Jannard has spoken about the Hydrogen Holographic 4V display, saying ‘There is no way to describe this. You just have to see it. So far, everyone that has seen it gasps, swears or just grins’. While that’s well and good, the 5.7″ display will revert back to a standard 2560×1440 resolution with ‘Fantastic color and brightness’ when in 2D mode.
The multi-spatial audio is also touched upon, with Jannard saying ‘The audio demo has achieved as high of marks as the display tech. Same reactions. Again, no way to describe. You just need to hear it’ – sounds promising.
The talk about carrier partnerships is likely more aimed at the US, but it appears that RED is looking to have the phone certified for use just about anywhere – though it’s likely there may be carrier specific variants released.
In terms of availability – remember the phone can be shipped to Australia – the Q1 shipping window has now been moved to ‘likely be sometime in the summer’, though he does say that ‘“Unlocked” Pre-orders will however ship before that’.
Sprinkled liberally about the post is also further details on hardware including that it will have a 4500mAh battery, be dual-SIM capable or you can have a SIM and a microSD card slot. It will have a headphone jack, but we knew that already and you will be able to shoot 3D to 4V content without any additional hardware modules.
That 4V content will be able to be shared on social media as well, though obviously not as 4V, and RED are set to announce some social media partners Jannard describes as ‘Big dogs’, so expect good things there.
The additional hardware modules weren’t unfortunately discussed at all, and there’s a lot of information missing from a device that they expect you to pre-order for $1,195USD.
RED has a lot of credit when it comes to making high quality products, at least in cameras. They are showing the phone and it’s 4V tech to content creators now and will be showing the phone off to pre-order customers in April, but for once I wish they’d just give a spec list and a video of the 4V effect in action.
Have you pre-ordered a RED Hydrogen phone?
Sounds very nice , interested to see if it can be all it can be out on the first build .