Here is everything about the Microsoft HoloLens 2, we have covered price, specifications, and release date. In our last article, we have mentioned that what Microsoft has for us in the year 2018. And now in this year, Microsoft has announced the upcoming version of its HoloLens, which is a mixed reality headset, during the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2019 earlier this week.

Microsoft has taken a few years to release the updated version of this augmented reality device. According to Microsoft, the company wanted to collect the feedback for HoloLens, especially from its users and developers, to come up with the updated version of the device. However, if truth be told, the company had never got a real competitor in the market of augmented reality devices. Though the Magic Leap holds the potential to compete with HoloLens devices, yet, we cannot overlook the fact that Magic Leap is still quite younger.

Let’s talk about the HoloLens 2 in details. There are two packages: the HoloLens 2 and the HoloLens 2 with Dynamics 365 Remote Assist. The HoloLens 2 box includes the device itself, carrying case, overhead strap, microfiber cloth, charger, and USB-cable. Rumor says Microsoft’s HoloLens 2 is maybe available in the market by April 2019, the company has already opened to the device for pre-order online(HoloLens 2 preorders are only being collected currently for the US, France, Germany, Ireland, and the United Kingdom).

Microsoft HoloLense 2 Price

The company has set the HoloLens price at the US $3500. With this kind of pricing, Microsoft has made it clear that the HoloLens isn’t made for the average consumer. At $3,500, It’squite sure that the HoloLens 2 isn’t trying to compete with any other VR technologies in the market. Notably, the company had demoed the first version of these augmented reality glasses, HoloLens, in the year 2016. The first demo was so surreal that a large number of people attended the demo session did not believe it to be true. Reason being its real-time tracking system that recognises gesture in instantaneously, and too in the high-resolution display.

HoloLens 2 tech specs

Display Optics See-through holographic lenses (waveguides) Resolution 2k 3:2 light engines Holographic density 2.5k radiants (light points per radian) Eye-based rendering Display optimization for 3D eye position Sensors Head tracking Eye tracking Depth Azure Kinect sensor IMU Accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer Camera 8MP stills, 1080p30 video Audio & speech Microphone array 5 channels Speakers Built-in, spatial audio Human understanding Hand tracking Two-handed fully articulated model, direct manipulation Eye tracking Real-time tracking Voice Command and control on-device, Natural Language with internet connectivity Compute & connectivity SoC Qualcomm Snapdragon 850 Compute Platform HPU 2nd generation custom-built holographic processing unit WiFi 802.11ac 2×2 Bluetooth 5.0 USB USB Type-C Fit Single size Fits over glasses Software Windows Holographic Operating System Edge Dynamics 365 Remote Assist Dynamics 365 Layout Dynamics 365 Guides 3D Viewer OneDrive for Business

How is HoloLens 2 Better than HoloLens’s Previous Version?

While the HoloLens 1 is an exceptional device, the updated version of it viz. HoloLens 2 is believed to be more comfortable to use and gives wider sight – 52 degrees to be precise – that makes the viewing experience more natural. Additionally, HoloLens 2 comes up with upgraded hardware, which is at par with current specifications.

The new HoloLens 2 now has the automatic calibration process, which calculates the distance between users’ eyes. To make it more comfortable, the company has made the HoloLens 2 a few grams lighter than the earlier version of the device. The new HoloLens comes with the option to flip open, which users can easily move away from their faces.

Another major difference between HoloLens and HoloLens 2 is its upgraded resolution. The earlier version of the HoloLens is 720p per eye while the HoloLens 2 has a resolution of 2K per eye. However, there is no change in the density of the images, which is still at 47 pixels per degree.

Microsoft had come up with the first version of HoloLens to experiment with a few sample applications, which made it obvious that this is a wide open technology, says Lorraine Bardeen, the General Manager of Engineering, D365 Mixed Reality Apps. The company has launched HoloLens 1 with the belief that this device is capable of doing anything that can be possibly imagined. The true feedbacks of the HoloLens users made it possible for Microsoft to focus more on the great user experience, she adds.