Fun fact: Jim Jannard, who founded Red Digital Cinema in 1999, is also the same individual that started Oakley, Inc. (the sunglasses company) way back in 1975 with a $300 investment. Most do good to have one successful business but Jannard started two - impressive.
Red Digital Cinema founder Jim Jannard has announced his retirement and with it, the end of the Hydrogen phone project.
Jannard revealed the news in a post on the Red forums, noting that after recently turning 70 and with a few health issues, it's time to retire. Jannard also announced he would be shutting down the Hydrogen project but added that Red Digital Cinema will continue under the watchful eye of "Jarred, Tommy and Jamin" (Jarred Land, Red's president, Tommy Rios, executive vice president and Jamin Jannard, president of marketing and creative) and that the Komodo camera is still on track for launch.
He also noted that the Hydrogen One will continue to be supported in the future but didn't elaborate. As such, this could be anything from basic security updates to full-on Android version updates. If I had to guess, however, I'd go with the former.
Red's Hydrogen One smartphone seemed impressive enough when it was announced in mid-2017 but when it launched last October, it had an outdated processor, a gimmicky screen, lackluster cameras and a substantial $1,300 price tag. It was also very bulky and featured an aesthetic that wasn't universally loved.
Masthead courtesy Inc.