14 DAY TRIAL // HoloLens is one of Microsoft’s most innovative projects in history, and with the company putting so much effort into improving it, people expected a second-generation version that would make the device more widely available and affordable to launch in the coming years.
But it turns out that Microsoft is actually embracing a different strategy and it’s all because the Redmond-based giant is so ahead of its competition.
Thurrott.com writes that Microsoft won’t launch a second-generation HoloLens, but skip directly to the third model, which is expected in 2019 at the soonest with substantial improvements that would keep the company the leader in this evolving industry.
In other words, Microsoft sees no reason in launching a new HoloLens version these days that would only feature small improvements and make the device more affordable given the fact that other companies that could compete in this market are still in the early phases with their projects.
Furthermore, launching a second HoloLens would only slow down development work on the third generation, pushing its release way beyond 2019. Microsoft expects the third-generation HoloLens to be as innovative as the first model, so the company wants to focus all efforts on this release rather than launch a product that would only serve as an incremental update.
Bad news for customers
Microsoft hasn’t obviously offered a statement that would confirm this report, but it makes sense for the firm to focus on a project that would make a bigger difference rather on a product with minor improvements in a market where it’s already dominating.
On the other hand, this can only be bad news for customers who hoped to buy a HoloLens in the coming year at a more affordable price, mostly because the third generation is likely to remain super expensive given the technology that Microsoft is planning on implementing.
Of course, although 2019 is the third target for the third-generation HoloLens, Microsoft’s plans could always change overnight, especially because this is work in progress and nothing is official just yet.