High-end cinema camera maker Red has been teasing its
forthcoming holographic smartphone for the past month, and has now offered the
first full view of its prototypes.
RED's cameras have been used to shoot hundreds of films
since 2005, such as Guardians of the Galaxy 2, and most Netflix hit TV series
including Mr. Robot and Stranger Things 2. Earlier this week it struck a deal
with Apple to sell some of its high-end kit exclusively at apple.com.
But in early 2018 RED may be competing with Apple -- amid
its push into augmented reality (AR) on iOS -- with the 5.5-inch holographic
display Android-powered Hydrogen One smartphone.
It won't be cheap. The unlocked phone will cost a whopping
$1,595 at pre-order prices for the titanium model or $1,195 for the aluminum
variant. RED founder Jim Jannard has suggested it will be more expensive if and
when it is released.
But for that price, it's promising a phone that can deliver
a holographic view or "4-View" without a wearable display and
"multidimensional audio" powered by its H3O algorithm.
The device will also offer modular attachments for shooting
video, stills, and holographic content. The phone also integrates with its
cinema cameras as a user interface and monitor.
That approach would dovetail with REDs modular camera
business, which offers the $49,500 Weapon 6K camera without a screen or other
essentials.
On Wednesday, YouTube star Marques Brownlee published his
hands-on with three prototypes showcasing the full design without a functioning
display or camera, the body with an attached RED camera sensor, and a third
prototype with a functioning holographic display.
The Hydrogen One has an industrial hard-edge design with
finger grips along the side, presumably for more secure handling when loaded up
with modular attachments.
The phone is slim but tall and wide, easily out-sizing the
iPhone 7 Plus, with a top and bottom kevlar panel and a metal mid-panel
featuring a large red dot embossed with 'RED Digital Cinema'.
The power button on the right-hand side will double as a
fingerprint reader while on the left are separated volume buttons embedded in
two ridges. There's also a dedicated video record button on the right-hand
bottom.
The prototype design has a USB Type-C port on the bottom
alongside a headphone jack that is due to move to the top on the final build.
The lower rear features a high-speed data bus to support attachments. The front
lower bezel space houses dual speakers and additional speaker on the top bezel
between two sensors.
The design prototype didn't have a working display or camera
module. RED only allowed Brownlee to show his reaction to the prototype with a
working holographic display. He said he was "pretty impressed" with
the holographic view.
According to Brownlee, within the next 45 days RED will have
a working prototype with the fit and finish, and the holographic display in the
same body.
ZDNet sister site CNET has dug up several camera-module
patents that offer promising signs that RED's claims are achievable. The
patents are also consistent with RED's success in selling high-end modular
digital cameras.
REDs Jannard has offered a few additional details on the
company's user forum. The built-in camera won't deliver cinema-quality images,
which is where the modular system comes in to add "image quality well
beyond any other camera short of our professional cameras".
Attachments will also be required to create 4-View
holographic content, according to Jannard.
The phone won't have a lenticular display like Amazon's 3D
Fire Phone or LG Optimus, but rather "technology you haven't seen
before".
