“F9” (Fast & Furious 9) to Feature RED’s Failed Holographic Smartphone, the Hydrogen One

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Universal Pictures released the trailer for the ninth Fast & Furious film on Friday, “F9,” and tech enthusiasts spotted something unexpected in one of its over-the-top action sequences. Dom’s crew can be seen driving around with RED’s Hydrogen One smartphone, which was hyped as the world’s first holographic mobile.

The phone was originally announced back in 2017 and made headlines for its “retina-riveting” screen, which could display 3D content. This included stereo 3D, 2D/3D VR, AR, and MR, as well as RED’s own Hydrogen 4-View format (H4V). It also used a “proprietary H3O algorithm” that could convert stereo sound into surround audio.

image: RED

Sadly, the phone turned out to be more of a marketing gimmick than anything revolutionary. Reviewers slammed the phone for its blurry display, bulky form factor, and slow processor. The fact that it cost $1,300 didn’t help either.

In October, company founder Jim Jannard announced that he had terminated RED’s smartphone ambitions. While the Hydrogen One would “continue to be supported in the future,” that would be the last mobile from the company. (Jannard also mentioned that he was retiring due to health issues.)

That said, the RED Hydrogen One (and fan-favorite Han, apparently) lives on in the ninth Fast & Furious film. The phone also made a cameo in Marvel’s superhero TV show, Runaways, where it was depicted as the “Corvus” – an evil phone created to control people and take over the world.

Tsing Mui
News poster at The FPS Review.

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