Microsoft teases a possible HoloLens 2 announcement at Mobile World Congress 2019

While the countdown to Mobile World Congress 2019 has already begun, Microsoft has decided to join the tease party. The company has just launched a new teaser on YouTube hinting at what appears to be the HoloLens 2. [caption id=“attachment_6069801” align=“alignnone” width=“1024”] The original HoloLens was launched back in 2016. Image: Microsoft[/caption] The video which was also tweeted out by the creator of HoloLens and head of Microsoft’s mixed-reality efforts — Alex Kipman, does not give away much about the new headset but does confirm that the HoloLens 2 will be announced soon.

2.24.19 #MWC19 - are you excited? I know I am...https://t.co/nO8apOLrGB pic.twitter.com/JXENF2nzEq

— Alex Kipman (@akipman) February 11, 2019

The 42-second clip in itself appears to be a mismatch of circuits and wires and does not really hint at what the new AR headset has to offer. If there is any takeaway from the clip at all, Microsoft could be using carbon-fibre as a material in making the HoloLens 2, which should, in theory, help reduce its weight by a certain margin. As per an older report by Engadget, Microsoft will likely use a Qualcomm-designed XR1 chip to power the headset, a chip meant specifically for VR and AR headsets. The chip supports 4K video at 60 fps but is also capable of handling video at that resolution along with 3D overlays and directional audio. Alongside the XR1 chip, Microsoft will also likely add a **custom chip** in there to handle AI functions on the HoloLens 2 where it will analyze visual data on the device and save time by not uploading the data that is not required. Microsoft has also mentioned that the upcoming headset will be considerably more comfortable than the original HoloLens. As per the teaser, Microsoft’s keynote at MWC 2019 is expected to happen on 24 February.