RED is exiting the smartphone business. The company’s founder Jim Jannard said in a blog post he is retiring because of health issues. And as he leaves the firm, the HYDROGEN project will also end.
This means that the HYDROGEN One successor that was teased back in July will never make it to the market. The company will continue to support its first and last handset, the HYDROGEN One. However, given that the phone didn’t get even one major OS update when the project was alive, we wonder if the company will stay true to the promise now that it has decided not to make any more phones.
Komodo Is Still Coming
Jannard says that the Komodo camera module that he talked about a few months back is still coming. It will be compatible with the HYDROGEN One. In many ways, RED owes this to its customers. After all, not only was the phone itself a letdown, the promised modules were never released.
With an introductory price tag of $1,300, the HYDROGEN One left a lot to be desired. The phone was initially billed as a technology powerhouse, promising a holographic display and a high-end camera system. The 4V display was only compatible with a handful of apps and the smartphone’s camera and audio quality are also nothing to write home about. The camera module was expected to elevate the photography experience but the firm removed all marketing material that promised it from its website.
Later on, the company put the whole blame on its chosen Original Device Maker (ODM). It said that it has teamed up with a new ODM for the HYDROGEN Two. Of course, the phone will never be finished now.
RED also said that it will revamp the original module and develop it on its own. Now, RED is primarily a camera maker, so this was apparently a good idea. Komodo, the spruced up camera module, will be fitted with a new and extraordinary sensor, according to the company. The manufacturer says that it will be a lot better than the originally planned unit. Although Komodo will not be like professional cameras, RED had promised that it will be able to produce images comparable to cinema-grade pictures. Moreover, the company also said that its price will be kept low. However, at this point, it’s pretty hard to take the company seriously.
HYDROGEN Project Was Perhaps Doomed From The Start
Jananrd’s dramatic exit from the industry leaves a few burning questions. While we understand that it might be time for him to retire, we wonder how far along HYDROGEN Two was in development when the company made this decision. Moreover, it also casts doubt on the fate of modular phones. It appears that this is something that most companies just can’t get right.
Perhaps it would have made sense if Red has focused more on a photography-centric handset without bold technologies that it wasn’t able to perfect. Hopefully, Jannard will bow out with grace and make good on his Komodo promise.