RED is set to debut its “holographic” Hydrogen One smartphone on November 2nd

Premium camera manufacturer RED has had the smartphone world on the edge of its seat for quite some time, with the “holographic” Hydrogen One handset delayed a number of times. Come Friday 2^nd November, RED will finally be putting the device on sale with a range of monthly plans announced by US carriers.

RED markets its debut smartphone with two experimental flagship features: Its “holographic” display and modular camera attachments that can transform the handset into a full-fledged video recorder built for acute cinematics. The 5.7-inch WQHD LCD display is built with special “Diffractive Lightfield Backlighting” made by a Leia, enabling the smartphone to push a proprietary 3D Mode.

Unfortunately, the delays have led to the Hydrogen One still sporting last year’s Snapdragon 835 chip, making the eye-watering $1,295 price tag all the more wince-worthy. Still, early adopters that pre-ordered can be happy that they snagged the handset for $100 cheaper. Those looking to hop on the bandwagon in the States will be able to grab a 24-month plan from Verizon, or a 30-month plan from AT&T.

RED’s timing will see the Hydrogen One stacked up against Apple’s latest iPhone XS Max, Google’s Pixel 3 XL, Huawei’s Mate 20 Pro, the Razer Phone 2 and the upcoming iterative OnePlus 6T. Those are some tough acts to follow.

KitGuru Says: It will be interesting to see whether or not RED’s gamble will pay off, particularly given that camera tech is a primary focus of almost all of its rivals. The modularity is certainly appealing, which is something other companies have tried and failed to establish in recent years. Does the Hydrogen One interest you?

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