Could the next Microsoft HoloLens be announced at MWC 2019?

By Arif Bacchus Published January 16, 2019

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Microsoft’s next-generation HoloLens could be coming soon. After not having a presence at Mobile World Congress (WMC) for three years, Microsoft is now sending out media invites for a press conference at 11 a.m. ET on Sunday, February 24, during the annual event in Barcelona, noting it will be hosted by CEO Satya Nadella and HoloLens inventor Alex Kipman.

Since it is longer selling phones, Microsoft’s presence at Mobile World Congress further hints that the press conference could be centered on HoloLens version 2.0. Alex Kipman has also been closely involved with the development of HoloLens and a Microsoft webpage dedicated to MWC makes references to “transforming spatial understanding through advanced sensors and AI at the edge to make technology more personal and natural.” It was previously confirmed by Microsoft that the next HoloLens would feature an A.I. processor for machine learning, so this supports a possible indication of a HoloLens version 2.0 unveiling.

Recommended Videos

Asides from the A.I. processor, rumors have indicated that Microsoft’s next HoloLens could come with an ARM Processor on board, instead of Intel. With the release of both the Surface Pro Advanced LTE and Surface Go with LTE, Microsoft has also been pushing for a “new culture of work.” A HoloLens 2.o with an ARM processor capable of LTE connectivity would support the initiative and the enterprise audience which Microsoft is currently targeting.

Please enable Javascript to view this content

Code-named “Sydney,” it also has been rumored that the new HoloLens headset could be cheaper, lighter, and have a larger field of view. That is just gossip, however, as HoloLens has always been marketed towards businesses, complete with a suite of applications for remote assistance, and making designs in custom 3D spaces. Timing also seems appropriate since the new HoloLens headset could run on Windows Core OS, for which an internal Windows build for recently surfaced online.

A HoloLens 2.0 would come over four years after the launch of the first HoloLens and it could just be the start of Microsoft’s 2019 devices lineup. According to rumors, the company is working on several new devices, including a folding Surface Centarus as well as a modular Surface Studio. Don’t expect these at MWC 2019, though, as Microsoft’s Surface chief Panos Panay won’t be speaking at the event.

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Arif Bacchus is a native New Yorker and a fan of all things technology. Arif works as a freelance writer at Digital Trends…

Computing

Microsoft’s Copilot Vision arrives to surf the web with select users

Microsoft's new Copilot Vision feature that can “see what you see, and hear what you hear” while you navigate the internet is finally being made available, though only to a limited number of Copilot Pro subscribers in the U.S.

"Starting today, we are introducing an experience where – with your permission – Copilot can now understand the full context of what you’re doing online," according to a Microsoft blog post. "When you choose to enable Copilot Vision, it sees the page you're on, it reads along with you, and you can talk through the problem you're facing together."

Computing

This HP Envy 2-in-1 is $300 off and has a gorgeous 16-inch 2K screen

The HP Envy x360 2-in-1 laptop on a white background.

Best Buy continues to offer some fantastic laptop deals with a huge $300 off the HP Envy 2-in-1 16-inch 2K Touchscreen laptop. It normally costs $900 but right now, you can buy it for just $600 which is a fantastic price for a laptop with such a good screen. It’d make the perfect gift for someone but also it’s simply a good laptop for all your working needs. Here’s a quick overview of what it has to offer.

Why you should buy the HP Envy 2-in-1 laptop
HP is one of the best laptop brands around and it has a particular penchant for making some of the best 2-in-1 laptops. With this HP Envy 2-in-1 laptop, you get some great hardware. It has an Intel Core Ultra 5 CPU, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB of SSD storage. For this price, you can’t really go wrong with these specs.

Computing

Black Friday’s best PC hardware deal is still live, and you’re sleeping on it

The Ryzen 5 7600X sitting among thermal paste and RAM.

I'm not mad, just disappointed. A couple of weeks ago, I covered the insane deal that essentially allowed you to score a Ryzen 5 7600X -- still one of the best processors you can buy -- for just $105. At the time, I thought, surely, this will sell out in a matter of hours. Who would pass up on a deal this good? And yet, two weeks later to the day, the craziest deal I've seen during all of Black Friday and Cyber Monday is still live on Newegg.

Let me break down the deal again. You can get the Ryzen 5 7600X for $225, which is not a good price. However, you can get an additional $30 off by using promo code DLCDZ342, bringing the price down to $195. The kicker is that you also get a free Team Group MP44L 1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD. That's a $90 hard drive that Newegg is just throwing in with a CPU that's already available for a decent price. The fact that the deal is still live suggests either Newegg has a ton of inventory, or not enough people know about this sale.