RED Hydrogen One Review: Unique, but hardly anyone should buy it

RED Hydrogen One was announced for the first time in mid-2017. More than a year later and after some delays, it has finally arrived. The device has always been destined for a niche market, but after using it for a few days, I can not say that it even appeals to their. Let's take a closer look.

MATERIAL |

Yes, it's a monster

As for the material, it is a crazy device in every way. It is constructed of aluminum with Kevlar accents and handles on the sides of the RED Hydrogen One. It's absolutely huge, it easily surpasses my Pixel 3 XL and my Galaxy Note 9. Its size is flawless, and personally, I like it. Anyone who does not appreciate a massive phone, however, must apply elsewhere.

There is a lot of grip here and the weight is good, but when used everyday, like in the city, this device gives the impression of going back a few years with smartphones.

It does not necessarily mean that it's a bad phone, it's its design, it's just a very particular and unique design that, honestly, will not please many people. RED film camera users have a robust appearance, and I think some of them might be interested in what Hydrogen One has to offer.

I will certainly give credit to RED for the buttons on this device too. The power button / fingerprint sensor is well located and is surprisingly tactile, although the addition of a texture would have been appreciated. The accuracy is pretty good, though. The volume buttons are also located in a good location and look nice, but my favorite is that there is a dedicated shutter button on the right side with a nice red accented color. I still do not understand why more phone manufacturers are not doing it.

Elsewhere in the hardware, there is a USB-C port for charging, a 3.5mm headphone jack and a SIM card tray. In particular, it is not necessary to remove a tool from this tray because it is a simple door that pulls the tray with slots for your SIM card and a microSD card. There is also a notification light at the top if it suits you.

On the back of the phone you will probably notice a handful of pins. These will support modular accessories in the future. RED indicates that one of these accessories will be a camera sensor made in RED with a real lens mount. The CEO said that this accessory would allow RED Hydrogen One to shoot a "RED quality film" on the phone. Currently, we do not know when it will happen or how much it will cost.

SOFTWARE |

Android without a lot of changes

As far as the RED Hydrogen One software is concerned, honestly, I do not have much to talk about. Here is a nice stock version of Android Oreo, which sees most of its changes in the launcher.

The launcher here looks like a fallout from all the old launchers we all used years ago with transitions such as "revolving door". It's fun, but it does not add value. The AT & T unit I tested is also mass-loaded by the carrier, but RED's own software does not interfere.

The performance on the Snapdragon 835 and 6 GB of RAM is adequate, but nothing impressive. I've noticed frame drops here and there, but nothing particularly serious, but not particularly good. It's a happy medium and I was expecting nothing more. At $ 1,300, however, anyone buying this phone should expect a lot more.

CAMERA

Do not live up to the RED name

RED Hydrogen One had two particularly interesting aspects before launch, including the camera. When a movie camera company named one of the world's greatest movies, you're quite right to expect something spectacular from its smartphone.

However, the cameras here are not particularly impressive. The dual camera system does the work well and beats some other devices, but they do not really match a pixel or even a flagship product of recent Samsung. According to RED, the phone simply does not have the energy to use the same color as the company's movie cameras, but some clichés make me wonder if they have given up before actually trying. A handful of samples are below.

With a name as big as RED and a price as high as $ 1,300, you can only be compared to the best of the best, and for now it's the Google Pixel 3. I put the two phones side by side for some snapshots and the results speak for themselves …

RED Hydrogen One (left) vs Google Pixel 3 (right)

Hopefully the next modular accessories will help open the camera's capabilities for photo and video. The camera application of RED, well arranged and equipped with advanced controls, I particularly like. The other would be the physical trigger that, as mentioned, I simply like.

On the note of this module to come, I think that could change the deal. Currently, the Hydrogen One is a smartphone, simply. When this module arrives, however, it will radically change things. Instead of being a really strange phone, it will become a new entry-level for the quality of RED's camera. At least, it's hope, and I'd like to review this device once it's delivered.

DISPLAY AND 4V |

The biggest attraction of RED Hydrogen One is its 4V "holographic" display. RED highlighted this feature, not allowing many who saw it before launch to describe it. Now, we can tell you what it looks like. Some may have imagined a Star Trek-esque hologram coming out of the screen, but that's just not the case. This is best compared to the Nintendo 3DS, and only certain applications and content can make you switch to "4V" mode.

The 5.7-inch screen alone is fine, and when you're in 4V mode, it looks futuristic, but it does not seem to be quite finished either. There is a lot of content, including videos in the "Hydrogen Network" app.

You can also take your own photos and videos with the rear or front cameras by switching the 4V mode. This is an area in which users can really appreciate the effect. It adds a new layer of creativity to your photos and videos and you can even share them quite easily with the HoloPix app. This fairly active community is full of what I think are some of the best examples I've seen of this feature in action. Despite this, I'm just not convinced by this feature.

Watching the effect for more than a few minutes seems odd to me and, at least in my experience, it sometimes gives you a headache. It may be just a problem that concerns me (which certainly needs a health check), but RED has set up partnerships in order to offer feature films such as Player Loan A to the device. At this point, I can not imagine watching the effect as long as possible.

RED said the technology is not supposed to tire the eyes, but I found the opposite. In comparison, the Nintendo 3DS does not give me a headache, but my eyes are also tense when watching this effect.

Worse, the quality is just not excellent. This sounds decent, better than most implementations of this technology, but it's not entirely correct. Where the standard display on the RED Hydrogen One is quite neat, the 4V effect removes a lot of quality. In some cases it sounds really cool, but in others it's a fuzzy mess.

It's unfortunate that it falls flat, but the credit goes to RED for providing a valiant effort. For what it is, this effect works well and I was honestly shocked by the amount of content available. Unfortunately, all my problems with this technology are related to hardware, and that can not be changed.

Little things |

– Life of the battery

The RED Hydrogen One incorporates a 4,500 mAh battery. Loaded on USB-C, this power supply easily lasts a full day. I would not say that battery life is crazy, but it's enough for most users. Admittedly, however, I do not use this phone as the only daily driver for a long time, so I can not tell you how effective the battery will be in time. In my tests though, the endurance looks pretty good.

– Speakers

There are two speakers at the front of RED Hydrogen One and they are just awful. They are noisy, but the quality is sorely lacking. It may be because of the pre-production equipment I use, but at least on my device, these are probably the worst speakers I've heard on the phone in years. A big part of this is the terrible "3D Audio" effect that is enabled by default. If you pick up this phone, turn it off at once.

Final Thoughts |

RED Hydrogen One is not an easy phone to evaluate. It's not really meant to be compared to Google's Pixel or any other Android phone. That's what the CEO of RED says. It's supposed to be "his own business".

Looking at hydrogen from this light is not a catastrophic offering. He has a lot to bring to the table with modular attachments being at the top of the list. I think it will appeal to a small group of customers who are megafans of RED, but that's about it. Even those who were intrigued enough to pre-order before full disclosure might not find this device suitable for them, at least until we heard more about the modules.

However, there is something very important to note about this phone, and it's something fans will try to ignore. RED Hydrogen One will be sold at leading US carriers, including AT & T and Verizon, alongside iPhones, Pixels and other consumer devices. With a starting price of $ 1,299, it is important to compare the Hydrogen One to these devices. From this aspect, the one who really The Hydrogen One is a unique device that no one should buy. He tries admirably to be something new, but falls on his face.

The RED Hydrogen One will be available at AT & T and Verizon Wireless on November 2nd.

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