Microsoft is expected to unveil its next-generation HoloLens headset during a scheduled press event on February 24, and as that date draws closer, a short teaser video has emerged.
HoloLens 2 figures to be one of the more interesting product reveals at Mobile World Congress (MWC), an annual event that typically focuses on smartphones. Microsoft's teaser doesn't 100 percent confirm that it's referring to HoloLens 2, but it's pretty telling that it was posted to YouTube by Alex Kipman, creator of the original HoloLens and technical fellow for AI perception and mixed reality in the cloud and AI group at Microsoft. Check it out:
"Are you excited yet? I am!," Alex states in the video's description. There's not much that is obvious to glean from the 42-second video, though we do see wires and cables snaking to some sort of processor. We can also see what looks to be carbon fiber construction in the second half of the clip.
According to TechCrunch, there are reports suggesting HoloLens 2 will use a Qualcomm 850 chip and new Project Kinect sensors. More concretely, Microsoft announced way back in July 2017 that the second version of HoloLens would incorporate an AI coprocessor, and given the attention that AI has received since then, we doubt that plan has changed. That could even be the chip that's teased in the video.
It remains to be seen what the target audience will be, though. HoloLens set the stage for mixed reality headsets for Windows 10, of which there are now several models by the likes of Asus, Lenovo, Samsung, and others. However, HoloLens never became a commercial product itself.
Interestingly, Engadget says it heard from an unnamed source that HoloLens will use Qualcomm's XR1 platform, which promises both a high-performance mixed reality experience and a more affordable and power-efficient design compared to the current version. The site also says HoloLens 2 will have a wider field of view and a lighter body (hence the tease of carbon fiber).
Assuming a reveal is headed for MWC, we'll find out soon enough.
