MENLO PARK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Red Digital Cinema, the leading manufacturer of professional digital cinema cameras, and Leia Inc, the leading provider of lightfield holographic display solutions for mobile, announced today a long-term exclusive partnership to bring the world’s first lightfield “holographic” smartphone -- the HYDROGEN ONE -- into the hands of consumers in the first half of 2018.

The strategic partnership will leverage RED’s expertise in digital content creation and deep connections in the film industry as well as Leia’s proprietary lightfield display technology and software platform to disrupt the world of mobile entertainment. The Hydrogen program will feature stunning holographic content and 3D sound for movie viewing, interactive gaming, social messaging and mixed reality.

RED was founded by Jim Jannard, with a mission to disrupt the cinema industry. In 2007 it introduced the “RED ONE”, the first 4K digital camera that forever changed the way cinematographers shoot motion pictures. Today RED cameras have been widely embraced by Hollywood and endorsed by acclaimed directors David Fincher, Ridley Scott, Peter Jackson and Jim Cameron. Now Jannard is doing it all over again, building on RED’s brand, extensive image capture technology and industrial design expertise to launch a new consumer product.

Leia leverages recent breakthroughs in Nano-Photonic design and manufacturing to provide a complete lightfield “holographic” display solution for mobile devices, through proprietary hardware and software. The Silicon Valley firm commercializes LCD-based mobile screens able to synthesize lightfield holographic content while preserving the normal operation of the display.

“This is an incredible opportunity for both companies and a perfect marriage,” says Jim Jannard, Founder and Chairman of RED. “Leia brings a very special piece of technology that blends seamlessly with our vision of a ground-breaking and disruptive consumer product.”

“We are thrilled to partner with Jim and the RED team on the Hydrogen program,” says David Fattal, Leia Founder and CEO. “They have a bold vision and share our urge to disrupt the mobile industry with true innovation.”

“Jim has had a marked influence on our team,” adds Fattal. “He is an amazing inventor and designer with a unique flair to create global consumer brands. We could not have found a better partner to enter the consumer realm.”

RED has made a strategic investment in Leia, and Jannard will be joining the Leia board of directors.

About Red Digital Cinema -- www.red.com

RED Digital Cinema continues to lead the world in innovation in the manufacture of professional digital cameras and accessories. RED began the revolution in 2006 with the 4K RED ONE digital cinema camera. RED then released the DSMC (Digital Stills and Motion Camera) system in 2008 that for the first time enabled the same camera to shoot feature films, television programs and elite still photography. What have the creators of "The Hobbit” trilogy and “The Martian”, the Emmy-winning "House of Cards”, and the cover editors of "Vogue" and "Harper's Bazaar” found in RED? Combined compact and lightweight design, superior image quality, incredible dynamic range, modularity, and cutting edge performance — including up to 8K resolution. The cameras of RED’s DSMC2 line — RED RAVEN, SCARLET-W, RED EPIC-W, and WEAPON — currently lead the industry. Now, in 2017, RED's newest 8K sensor, HELIUM, sets the new image quality standard with the highest DxO Mark score ever.

About Leia Inc. -- www.leiainc.com

Founded in 2014 by David Fattal, Zhen Peng and Pierre-Emmanuel Evreux, Leia Inc is a technology spin-off from Hewlett-Packard laboratories developing a lightfield display technology platform for mobile devices. Through Nanotechnology and Software innovation, the company empowers device manufacturers and content providers in various industries to create the next digital experience for consumer. The company is based in Menlo Park, CA with operations in Suzhou, China.