It was back in mid-2017 when RED announced its first Android phone, promising a holographic display and an innovative new camera system. Now, the Hydrogen project is being canceled, as 70-year-old founder Jim Jannard has announced his retirement due to health issues.
While the Hydrogen One was announced in July 2017, it wasn"t actually released until well over a year later. Moreover, it still included a Snapdragon 835 - the previous year"s flagship chipset - and a $1,200 price tag. Reviews weren"t great either, with many applauding the technology behind it but criticizing what seemed to be a lack of direction and execution.
Jannard did say that there would be a Hydrogen Two as recently as July, but it seems that that"s just not happening. The project is being shut down, although Jannard did confirm that the Hydrogen One will continue to be supported "in the future", not specifying how long that future is.
According to the forum post, the lack of success for RED"s debut handset didn"t have anything to do with the shutdown of the Hydrogen project. Jannard only chalks it up to "a few health issues".