The future is real: RED announces its new 'holographic' smartphone

You don't need special glasses to experience RED's forthcoming "assault on your senses." At least, that's the way the company is hyping its just-announced and potentially groundbreaking smartphone, the HYDROGEN ONE. The device promises to provide let users enjoy multi-dimensional content without needing any sort of additional accessory.

How does the Hydrogen One do it? It's not really known at this time. According to RED, the phone's display features "nanotechnology" that seamlessly switches between different types of content, be it 2D, 3D, or holographic. Even interactive apps are supported by the device's screen. Virtual reality and also augmented- and mixed-reality apps work perfectly with the Hydrogen One. That's pretty much the extent of the explanation behind how RED's phone screen works.

Anyway, there's no point in having multi-dimensional video if its accompanied by flat sound, right? That's why the Hydrogen One uses what RED calls a "proprietary H3O algorithm" that turns a stereo source into multi-channel sound. It's basically virtual surround, and it works with any headphones you plug into the phone. RED is so fond of this capability that it boasts that the difference this feature makes "would be enough to justify the entire system." That's a pretty bold claim, but we'll have to wait until the Hydrogen One actually releases to put it to the test.

Okay, enough with the PR quips. What about some hard info on the Hydrogen One's capabilities? Unfortunately, there are almost zero details on what components the phone is packing—processor, RAM, storage capacity, battery size, display size and resolution are all a mystery at this point. Two things are confirmed by RED, though: the phone runs Android, and it has a micro SD slot. I guess some details are better than no details.

When can we expect the Hydrogen One to launch, and at what price? RED plans to begin shipping its phone in the first quarter of 2018, and it is already accepting pre-orders. The pre-orders fall into two price tiers. The more affordable option (and I use the term affordable loosely) costs $1,195, and nabs you an aluminum version of the Hydrogen One. Fork over $1,595 instead, and you get a device made of a more premium titanium material. Please note that the prices cover neither taxes nor shipping and handling fees.

If you find yourself mesmerized by RED's new smartphone, make sure to act quick. The company states the current price is available for a limited time only, meaning it could go up at anytime.

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