Microsoft Has Cancelled the Second-Gen HoloLens, Working on Third-Gen For 2019 Launch (thurrott.com)

Citing several unnamed sources, long-time blogger Brad Sams is reporting that Microsoft has canceled the second iteration of the HoloLens in an attempt to focus on even more advanced HoloLens. The company, he says, now plans to launch that third iteration of HoloLens in 2019. From the report: Back when the first version of HoloLens came out, Microsoft created a roadmap that highlighted several release points for the product. This isn't unusual, you start with the first device, second generation devices are typically smaller and more affordable and then with version three you introduce new technology that upgrades the experience; this is a standard process path in the technology sector. Microsoft, based on my sources, is sidelining what was going to be version two of HoloLens and is going straight to version three. By skipping what was version two on their roadmap, the company can accelerate version three which will be closer to a generational leap and help keep Microsoft ahead of the competition. My sources are telling me that this version of HoloLens will not arrive until 2019.

Comments

If Apple built a Hololens we'd never hear about it

[RandyHill]

Until it was ready for release. It's just bad product management to tease products that aren't ready for release yet, solve the main problems behind locked doors first.

Perfect is the enemy of good

[Overzeetop]

No matter how good v3 is going to be in 2 years, v4, in 4 years will be much, much better. With this logic, there's really no reason to release. Ever.

Unless, of course, the team really has just been surfing the internet and going to to lunch and then straight to the bar afterwards for the past 2 years instead of working on product.

Re:Perfect is the enemy of good

[swb]

I think the engineering improvement curve for stuff like this is really steep. What's practically impossible today, is practical but outrageously expensive in 9 months and commodity priced in 18 months.

IMHO, all of the VR stuff is so bleeding edge that it's going to make the smartphone cycle look slow and methodical in 5 years. Meanwhile, do you rush out products that are expensive, quickly obsolete and don't grab many buyers in the name of "getting to market first"? Or do you iterate it internally and among select developers until your actual concept is practical and at prices that will gain a high volume of sales?

I don't think they're out of line here, the technology in this stuff is advancing faster than they can integrate it into a coherent product and get it to manufacturing.

Re:If Apple built a Hololens we'd never hear about

[Anonymous Coward]

I would be pretty pissed off as a developer if I poured money into a dev kit thinking this thing might actually hit the market anytime soon.

Re:If Apple built a Hololens we'd never hear about

[Opportunist]

Release? Who wants to release? We're just announcing something forever so nobody else bothers to build one or if they do, nobody buys it because they're waiting for the Microsoft one.