RED is working on holographic video chat feature for Hydrogen One smartphone

Camera manufacturer RED is working on a holographic chat option for its Hydrogen One smartphone. The device uses the two front cameras to record users’ faces in 3D, while the 3D screen can show the footage.

RED uses an algorithm to blend the image from multiple angles to get a holographic effect, reports The Verge based on a hands-on with the phone. The site was able to try out the function, but making images of the screen of the device was prohibited during the demonstration.

Presumably only users who both own Hydrogen Ones can chat holographically with each other, as RED has developed its own 4V format for recording and playing back images for the screen.

The Hydrogen One uses a regular LCD with a layer behind it that can spread light in multiple directions to achieve the 3D effect. According to The Verge, that works better than with previous 3D screens on smartphones, although that doesn’t say much.

RED announced its smartphone in July last year. RED showed the Hydrogen One one day Saturday at RED Studios in Hollywood. The phone will have a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835-soc, 5.7-inch display with a resolution of 2560×1440 pixels in regular mode and a 4500mAh battery. There is an aluminum version that costs $1195 and a titanium variant that costs $1595. It is the first smartphone from the American company, which specializes in professional cinema cameras, and will be released this summer.