RED founder Jim Jannard has published a scathing statement about the Hydrogen One manufacturer promising big improvements as RED begins work on the Hydrogen Two phone ‘virtually from scratch’.
Jannard unveiled the new smartphone to fans on Hydrogen community forum, H4Vuser.net. Though he also used the post to vent his frustrations with a mystery Chinese ODM (or Original Design Manufacturer).
The ODM was responsible for the mechanical packaging of the Hydrogen One’s design including new tech and integrating the software with the Qualcomm processor. Jannard stated that the ODM had ‘significantly under-performed’, irritating him ‘to death’ and flooding RED’s reactor.
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Because of this, RED revealed that it will be working on the Hydrogen Two ‘virtually from scratch’. The company stated that it would be building the smartphone in collaboration with a new ODM ‘that is clearly more capable of building and supporting the product we (and our customers) demand’.
Jannard also revealed that the company has completely redesigned the package with a ‘new and extraordinary’ sensor. The cinema camera module – Komodo – is expected to exceed the originally planned module that never made it to the Hydrogen One thanks to issues with the ODM. Jannard continued to explain that, while the camera will not be able to stand up to RED’s other products, it will be able to provide cinema-grade images at the highest level possible for its price. This presumably comes down to both size and cost constrictions limiting traditional RED sensors from fitting into the smartphone at a (semi-)affordable price.
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There is some good news for Hydrogen One owners, with Jannard promising that those burned by RED’s first smartphone can expect to receive ‘significant preferential treatment’ when the Hydrogen Two and Cinema Camera model are released, both in regards to delivery allocations and pricing.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
