Skip to main content

Red Hydrogen phone project breathes its last as founder retires

RED Hydrogen One back
Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

The Red Hydrogen Project is no more. The failed smartphone project from Red Digital Cinema has been closed down by founder Jim Jannard, who used a short blog post on the company’s forum to announce both this news and his impending retirement.

“Just now turning 70 and having a few health issues, it is now time for me to retire,” Jannard wrote. “I will be shutting down the Hydrogen project, ending a career that has included Oakley, Red Digital Cinema, and Hydrogen.”

Recommended Videos

The Red Hydrogen One was highly anticipated, but ultimately under-delivered, and its potential will never be reached now the project has been canceled. Following several delays, the Hydrogen One was released at the end of 2018, and had intriguing features including a 3D display, and a modular design. One proposed accessory, called the Cinema Mod, would include a Red imaging sensor and utilize camera lenses from major manufacturers.

Sadly, the Red Hydrogen One did not live up to expectation, the modular parts did not arrive, and Digital Trends didn’t recommend buying it in our review. We noted it may be worth watching should the modular components that were promised ever be released, but this will obviously not happen now. The Hydrogen One will be consigned to the smartphone history books as a missed opportunity. What happened? Producing smartphones is a tough business, especially for the newcomer.

In a blog post earlier this year, Jannard wrote that it was, “the single most challenging program I have ever been a part of,” and pointed the finger at manufacturing partners in China as part of the problem, saying one unnamed partner had been under-performing to the extent that fixing issues was impossible. In the same blog post, it was confirmed the company was working on the Hydrogen Two. With the closure of the Hydrogen project, the Hydrogen Two will almost certainly never exist.

What does this mean for those who did splash out at least $1,300 for the Hydrogen One? Jannard promises the phone will continue to be supported in the future, although specifics regarding software, features, and any accessories are not mentioned. If you’re interested in buying a new camera phone we have our recommendations here, or fancy a new DSLR, we’ve got recommendations for those right here too.

Andy Boxall
Andy is a Senior Writer at Digital Trends, where he concentrates on mobile technology, a subject he has written about for…
Best iPad deals: Save on iPad Air, iPad Pro, iPad Mini
iPad Pro 2020 Screen.

Some of the best tablets on the market can be found within the Apple iPad lineup, and of late the iPad has been a great place to turn for some of the best tablet deals. We regularly see discounts on entry-level iPads, but right now we’re seeing models like the iPad Air and iPad Pro with their prices dropped, including the iPad Pro with Apple’s new M4 chip. In fact, iPads make for some of the best Apple deals you can shop right now, and they’d pair well with anything you may find among the current AirPods deals, iPhone deals, and MacBook deals. We’ve tracked down all of the best iPad deals and organized them for your shopping convenience below. Read onward for those details, and check out all of the Samsung tablet deals, Amazon Fire tablet deals, and Surface Laptop and Surface Pro deals going on right now if you want to see what the competition has to offer.
Apple iPad 10.2 (9th Gen) (64GB ) -- $200 $329 39% off

Apple's A13 Bionic chip is no M1 or M2, but it still offers 64-bit architecture and neural engine support for excellent performance. In other words, this 10.2-inch iPad is incredible value. It has a 10.2-inch Retina display, 64GB of storage, supports Touch ID and Apple Pencil (1st Gen), and it's size, plus all-day battery life make it an excellent choice for anyone with an on-the-go lifestyle.

Read more
Best iPhone 15 deals: How to get Apple’s latest iPhone for free
The display on a green iPhone 15.

The iPhone 15 has been one of the most popular iPhones Apple has released, and even with the recently released iPhone 16 shaking up the lineup it could still be considered among the best phones on the market. It can be difficult to find Apple deals on newer Apple products but the iPhone 15 is also one of the best phone deals you can shop. With up to $730 in savings available at multiple carriers right now, you can walk away with a free iPhone 15. We’ve rounded up all of those details below, but if the Apple software ecosystem isn’t of particular interest to you there are plenty of Samsung Galaxy S24 deals, Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra deals, and Google Pixel 8 deals available as well.
Today's best iPhone 15 deals

: Get the iPhone 15 for $580, down from its regular price of $730, with three free months of Apple TV+ included.
: Get the iPhone 15 128GB model for free with a new line and 36 months of bill credits.
: Get the iPhone 15 128GB model for free via 24 monthly bill credits when you trade-in an eligible device on a Go5G Next plan.
: Get the iPhone 15 128GB model for just $6 per month for 36 months (regularly $21 per month).

Read more
Does the OnePlus 13 have wireless charging?
Renders of the OnePlus 13 in its three colors.

The OnePlus 13 is on its way to the global market. OnePlus already launched its latest smartphone in China on November 1 and announced its specs, including a beefy 6,000mAh battery and powerful Snapdragon 8 Elite processor. Now, all we have to do is wait until we can confirm whether its ready to impress overseas customers. Of course, one of the most competitive specs is battery life and charging, which can be enough to turn customers away if they fall short of expectations.

The OnePlus 12 lasted well into two days and offered a variety of charging options, but what about its successor? That beefy 6,000mAh battery won't charge itself. Here's what you need to know about OnePlus 13 wireless charging and its other charging options.
Does the OnePlus 13 have wireless charging?

Read more