Microsoft has finally brought its Hololens 2 to India. The device launched back in 2019 and has been available for $3500 for quite some time now. However, with Microsoft selling it directly in India, it’s sure to become more accessible and possibly cheaper.
The Hololens 2 is Microsoft’s second attempt at making an enterprise-grade augmented reality device meant to be used by skilled workers operating on factory floors, healthcare professionals and just about anyone else who can’t accommodate a whole computer in their workflow.
The device has been available for sale in India but primarily through third-party sellers on Xboom or Amazon, who would either sell it for twice the price at INR 5 lakhs or never have it in stock.
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Holographs made more accessible
The Hololens 2 works on the ARM-based Snapdragon 850 and has Microsoft’s second-generation custom built holographic processing unit. You also get 4GB LPDDR4x RAM, 64GB UFS 2.1 storage, WiFi 5, Bluetooth 5.0 and Type-C charging.
The device is battery operated and fits over your head much like a baseball cap, removing hurdles like wires and charging from the way, making it much easier to use in the type of conditions Microsoft suggests.
It also has four cameras for head tracking, two IR cameras for eye-tracking, a 1MP time-of-flight depth sensor and an 8MP camera for stills and video conferencing on the go. There’s also a five-channel microphone array built-in.
All these sensors give the Hololens 2 6DoF tracking, spatial mapping, Mixed Reality capture, hand and eye-tracking capabilities, voice commands, and Windows Hello protection with iris recognition.
With Microsoft bringing the headset to India, the asking price should translate to their original $3500 price tag coming in at around INR 2,60,000. While that’s still a pricey ask for the kind of productivity the Hololens 2 offers, it might just carve out a place in the Indian enterprise market.
It’s important to note that Microsoft hopes the headset to be an enterprise-grade product meant for workers and not regular consumers. Microsoft suggests that the device can help with
- Enabling remote maintainance and improve worker productivit, accuracy and upskilling especially in the automotive and manufacturing industries.
- Facilitating training and simulations as well as remote consultations in the healthcare sectors.
- Creating better and more interactive experiences for students.
Hololens 2 hardware specs
Here are the hardware specifications for the Hololens 2.
| Specifications | Microsoft Hololens2 |
|---|---|
| Processor | Snapdragon 850 |
| RAM and Storage | 4GB LPDDR4X RAM 64GB UFS 2.1 Storage |
| Optics | See-through holographic lenses 2k resolution |
| Software | Windows Holographic OS Microsoft Edge 3D Viewer Dynamics 365 Remote Assist Dynamics 365 Guides |
| Sensors and Cameras | 4 cameras for head tracking 2 IR cameras for eye tracking 1MP time-of-flight camera depth sensor 8MP camera for stills and video calls Accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer |
| Battery | Lithium batteries 18W charging (charger supplied in the box) |
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