The Verge Goes Hands-On With the 'Wildly Ambitious' RED Hydrogen One Smartphone (theverge.com) 53
It's been almost a year since RED, a company known for its high-end $10,000+ cameras, teased a smartphone called the RED Hydrogen One. Several months have passed since the phone was announced and we still don't know much about it, aside from it having a very industrial design and "Hydrogen holographic display." Earlier this week, AT&T and Verizon confirmed that they'll launch the device later this year. Now, The Verge's Dieter Bohn has shared his hands-on impressions with the device, which he claims to be "one of the most ambitious smartphones in years from a company not named Apple, Google, or Samsung." Here's an excerpt from the report: The company better known for high-end 4K cameras with names like "Weapon" and "Epic-w" isn't entering the smartphone game simply to sell you a better Android phone. No, this phone is meant to be one piece of a modular system of cameras and other media creation equipment -- the company claims it will be "the foundation of a future multi-dimensional media system." To that end, it has a big set of pogo-pins on the back to connect it to RED's other cameras also to allow users to attach (forthcoming) modules to it, including lens mounts. If it were just a modular smartphone, we'd be talking about whether we really expected the company to produce enough modules to support it.
RED is planning on starting with a module that is essentially a huge camera sensor -- the company is not ready to give exact details, but the plan is definitely more towards DSLR size than smartphone size. Then, according to CEO Jim Jannard, the company wants any traditional big camera lens to be attached to it. Answering a fan question, he joked that support for lenses will be "pretty limited," working "just" with Fuji, Canon, Nikon, Leica, and more. [...] The processor inside will be a slightly-out-of-date Qualcomm Snapdragon 835, but it seemed fast enough in the few demos I was able to try. Honestly, though, if you're looking to get this thing just as a phone, you're probably making your decision based on the wrong metrics. It's probably going to be a perfectly capable phone, but at this price (starting at $1,195) what you're buying into is the module ecosystem.
RED is planning on starting with a module that is essentially a huge camera sensor -- the company is not ready to give exact details, but the plan is definitely more towards DSLR size than smartphone size. Then, according to CEO Jim Jannard, the company wants any traditional big camera lens to be attached to it. Answering a fan question, he joked that support for lenses will be "pretty limited," working "just" with Fuji, Canon, Nikon, Leica, and more. [...] The processor inside will be a slightly-out-of-date Qualcomm Snapdragon 835, but it seemed fast enough in the few demos I was able to try. Honestly, though, if you're looking to get this thing just as a phone, you're probably making your decision based on the wrong metrics. It's probably going to be a perfectly capable phone, but at this price (starting at $1,195) what you're buying into is the module ecosystem.
Hasn't been this much excitement about Hydrogen (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Hasn't been this much excitement about Hydrogen (Score:4, Insightful)
I do like that, design-wise, they're not simply copying the iPhone. The price is absurdly expensive and I'm not interested in high-end camera accessories, so I'm not in the least bit interested in this, but I think I like the way it looks at first glance. It's pretty distinctive. I'm not sure why people keep trying the 3D holography gimmick, though.
fixed (Score:3)
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Not at all. You don't get bragging rights by having to explain why it is your thing is worth bragging about:
"Pfffft. You got an iPhone? How lame. I got a RED Hydrogen One"
"A what?"
"It's a phone that is from RED, a company know for it's cam.."
*yawn*
Re: (Score:1)
Re:Does hit have a screen? (Score:5, Interesting)
They signed an NDA and are not allowed to show the screen. This has not stopped some people from showing it though [cdn.neow.in]. The idea is that the screen itself is not impressive, "just" a 5.7" display in a huge body, at a time when expensive phones tend to go very thin-bezel, so photos of the front make this expensive device look like a "blast from the past". The basic gimmick, err, feature of the phone's screen, which is the pseudo-3D effect cannot show in images, so they believe they need to build a whole narrative before showing the screen to people, to a void "$1200 for this crap?".
Because, indeed, you will not buy this phone for the display, or the cpu, or even the "holographic" effect gimmick, it isn't supposed to be worth its price as a just a phone, so only when we get a look at what this connectivity/modules/ecosystem comprises of exactly, will we know if it is an interesting device. Judging from how they are doing with their cameras, they might have a few tricks up their sleeve.
That said, they still could put a bit larger display compared to the size of that phone, especially now when everyone and their mother has a bezel-less phone.
This looks pretty cool (Score:3)
This is honestly the first Android phone that has appealed to me much, because of the really impressive camera and the module system. Plus the RED guys really seem to do a great job with hardware design... I came super close to pre-ordering one hoping I could use it for a trip in January, though I'm kind of glad I did not since it's still not even shipping yet. :-)
A lesson here (Score:2)
No, I'm not tempted by overly priced stuff, I've never even wanted to drive a BMW, and like to keep cars for at least ten years so I 'm not after new cars for the sake of being new. I don't care about expensive things, what I care about is quality (which sometimes is expensive and sometimes is not).
Your post provides an important opportunity to share a life lesson with everyone - you shouldn't buy things that are expensive just because of the label or because they are cool. You buy things that are expensi
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because of the really impressive camera and the module system
If you like modules on your phone, take a look at the Motorola Z series [motorola.com]. Current modules include an optical zoom camera, projector, speaker, batteries, etc.
Should have spent even more (Score:2)
The processor inside will be a slightly-out-of-date Qualcomm Snapdragon 835, but it seemed fast enough in the few demos I was able to try.
If you're trying to get people to actually carry this thing as a phone, and not just to sell it to a small handful of people who want it attached to a camera, and you want to sell it for all the money, then it should have the fastest processor as well.
I don't think that matters so much (Score:4, Interesting)
then it should have the fastest processor as well.
If you were building a $1k gaming phone, then I would agree with you...
But for a phone specialized around photography, the CPU doesn't matter as much as GPU, and just overall system architecture. Can it capture and edit 4K footage well? That's a much more important issue than mere CPU specs. A phone like this rides way more on how well it functions, than absolute specs...
I personally think it looks like it could be really interesting to have such a highly programmable compact camera with really high quality output.
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Great idea (Score:2)
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Except that the stuff in the base will not have enough performance to run the next generation of add-ons. It's also a lot harder to develop for a platform that can have a large number of different configurations.
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Wildly Ambitious or yet another megaslab ? (Score:1)
Wildly Ambitious is not yet another large, thin, incredibly fragile phablet.
Wildly Ambitious would be a small, thick, sturdy phone with a good CPU and long-life battery that can stand a 2m fall onto concrete.
But no-one will make one.
I wonder why ?
But not much.
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Near as I can tell this is a thick sturdy phone with a decent CPU and a long life battery. Nobody has released drop test results yet.
I'd call it ambitious.
That said, I'm not really it's target market, and I don't want one, but I am glad someone is entering the market with something different. Line up all the flagship phones from all the manufacturers right now and they're all almost identical. Nothing at all to set them apart from eachother, and nobody has released any feature that counts as exciting in a v
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Wildly Ambitious would be a small, thick, sturdy phone
You just questioned the sturdiness of a thick phone machined out of solid titanium...
Niche (Score:2, Insightful)
It's certainly no iphone or Samsung killer. Your average person has no use for it, and big corporations already have better tech. But for the niche audience of indy A/V people like me, it sounds really interesting.
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Near as I can tell I'm not really it's target market, and I don't want one, but I am glad someone is entering the market with something different. Line up all the flagship phones from all the manufacturers right now and they're all almost identical. Nothing at all to set them apart from eachother, and nobody has released any feature that counts as exciting in a very long time. I don't want to buy this phone, but I do want other manufacturers to actually compete with it. We may yet see some innovation in an
Re: Niche (Score:2)
Re: Niche (Score:2)
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I disagree. It's a symptom of insufficient competition to push them to innovate. You only have to go back a couple years to see a wide range of phones with different features. Many of which were in high demand and are no longer available.
The SUV example you give us another market ripe for some innovation and disruption.
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It's certainly no iphone or Samsung killer. Your average person has no use for it,
And what use has your average person got for a $1K phone that cannot be met by a $300 phone?
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I was going to post the same thing.
LG G5.
No friends at all....
Didn't seem wild (Score:2)
No display pictures - no belief in the hype (Score:2)
Seriously, it will be just an overpriced phone with a certain brand name printed on it.
Re:No display pictures - no belief in the hype (Score:4, Interesting)
Do you need to read more than "blanket ban on taking any photos or video of the front of the phone" to know that the emporer has no clothes? If they cannot show the public how "great" their only "new, distinguishing feature" is by now, it is certain to be embarrasingly underwhelming.
Is it any surprise that a 3D effect can't be presented well in a 2D photo? Maybe you don't know Red as it's hardly a household name, but they've made a business selling $10k-$100k cameras to Hollywood and is second only to Arri in that market. And before that, Jim Jannard became a billionaire on Oakley sunglasses that he founded. This is not some scam or a fool with a fancy presentation. I don't know if this is a winner, as I think the whole 3D/VR/AR/Hologram market is seriously overhyped but somebody with lots of money and lots of successful experience think they have a business case. Which means there's a lot more to this than smoke and mirrors. Though to be honest I don't think Red knows how to make anything at mainstream prices, like they don't make $1000 cameras or $100 camera modules for phone. It's a $1000+ phone and it'll probably be as niche as their cameras, but they make money so I don't see why this can't. It just needs to deliver something unique to justify the price.
I'll save you some time (Score:2)
We need more of this. (Score:2)
Opinionated design and quality shouldn't be left to Apple alone. I very much appreciate red getting into the smartphone business and I hope they succeed.
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I Like Trump (Score:1)
He screwed the economy and foreign policy, which means the midterms will result in a long-needed political reset.
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I'll refrain from ad hominems.
He handed a trillion dollars in cash to the rich, pulled out of the Paris Accord, pulled out of the Iran deal, and inherited an economy that takes typically a decade to swing one way or the other. I'm not butthurt. My parents are staunch right-wingers and both are beyond pissed at the jackass in the white house.
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economy is doing better
job market is better
NK is scared shitless and willing to deal
so you don't like the tax plan? I will pay less, my 140K a year isn't "rich", maybe you should get better job?
yes Trump is a buffoon but not seeing the problem
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Do you read the best used by dates on a milk carton? Your tax break has a very short expiration date whilst the expiration date for the 1% doesn't expire. The neutral GAO has already concluded this is a blasted nightmare. The US is headed the way of Greece.
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we'll see what happens down the road, I pay taxes by the year
already know what other party did for me and my friends, fucked us over with Obamacare and other things
watching this one with interest (Score:2)
$1200 is too much for a phone.
$1600 for a titanium camera that I can use as a phone, with an APSC (or bigger) sensor? That could well make me shift system.
I can't afford RED cameras but getting their technology in my pocket? Tempting.
What's the point? (Score:2)
I guess I'm missing the point of this press event. The primary mainstream feature of the phone is the hologram display (and a video chat app that will only work holographically with two of the same phones), but we can't see it ? RED is primarily a camera company, but no discussion of the camera or sample images/clips?
So basically the presser was about the case. Good luck guys.