Do you know what is the difference between HoloLens 1 and HoloLens 2? In this post, we've brought together all the basic information as well as similarities and differences between the two generations.
The world the way it is in 2022 is mind-blowing. We are extremely lucky to be witnesses to such significant changes that currently are taking place in various spheres. Especially the technological industry. It develops at a crazy high speed and gets involved in other fields massively. Businesses, whatever the industry is, apply innovations to attract customers and get more profit.
Now nobody will be surprised by AR VR solutions. Who would have ever thought before that at this moment AR VR app development services would be quite common and usual things for us? Numerous companies work on creating VR and AR headsets at different prices to make them accessible to everyone. There are expensive devices as well as cheaper and affordable alternatives. These headsets allow users to play games and experience them to the fullest. A player feels like in the virtual world, and can even touch the objects there. It sounds crazy but this is our new reality.
Augmented Reality in action
The emotional connections people build with brands through sight, sound, and motion are unbelievable. As the technology industry keeps evolving, user experience moves away from watching only to immerse themselves in the brand experience.
The innovation that has shaken the entire industry is augmented reality (often referred to as AR). AR superimposes an image onto a user’s view of the real world and augments it with realistic sound, touch, and even smell. Well, in fact, AR is blurring the lines of reality.
People like augmented reality and get massively attracted to it. Businesses and organizations know it, so they try hard to figure out how they can implement AR properly and benefit from it.
To tell the truth, augmented reality, being in its early days, provides several unique opportunities for various businesses.
Let’s talk about Microsoft, or to be precise, about their HoloLens
In this post, we are going to provide you with all the necessary details about HoloLens 1 and HoloLens 2, and also break down the key differences between them. Interesting? then keep on reading and discover the world of AR with us!
In case you struggle to choose what headset is better for you, you need to find the basic information first, then compare and contrast. to save you time, we have already done it for you.
Introduced back in 2016, HoloLens 1 was a completely innovative tool. However, it came out with a lot of unfulfilled expectations. No, we do not want to say it worked badly or something of this kind. The tool was functional and performed well enough, but people believed it would be more than it actually was. Having received feedback from business customers, Microsoft kicked off the process of developing an upgraded version - a newer generation. 3 years later, in 2019, Microsoft introduced HoloLens 2. But Microsoft is not going to stop there! They have already hinted at the third generation of HoloLens at some point in the future. But today we are going to focus on what we already have - HoloLens 1 and HoloLenss 2.
Needless to say, Microsoft has carefully analyzed the feedback and taken into account all the successes and failures, as they delivered a polished, noticeably improved product. In HoloLens 2, we can see a retooling of the old system. However, there has been a solid 3500 $ price tag attached to it (HoloLens 1 price was 3000 $, for comparison). With the new HoloLens generation, Microsoft targeted the enterprise market mostly. Why not the consumer space? Let’s be frank - the enterprise market shows greater potential for growth and use of the tool (remote assistance, prototyping, on-site diagnostics, and this list goes on and on). This sector appears to be the most promising for implementing AR technology.
HoloLens 1 VS HoloLens 2
So, what makes HoloLens 2 a more robust alternative?
The key differences are as follows:
A newer vision of the storage space
A different USB port
Modern Bluetooth connection
HPU of the second generation (this means more powerful computing from the graphics and processing standpoint)
WiFi 5
RAM card (up to 8 GB)
4 GB of memory
8 CPU cores (HoloLens 1 has 4 cores)
Modernized eye-tracking
Eye-tracking is an advantage that wasn’t available in HoloLens 1. Eye-tracking sensors make the interaction much more natural. Additionally, this feature can be used for users to log in as an alternative to passwords or other forms of security checks. AR game developers use the information about what players see to enhance the experience. Consider, that you, as a user, need to grant the app permission to use the information from the eye-tracking sensors.
Improvements to gesture support
There are no physical controllers but rather hand tracking and voice controls. In HoloLens 2, we can notice a significant upgrade to gesture tracking. You can now perform gestures like dragging and dropping objects or tapping a virtual button. The gesture sensors of the new generation recognize the direction of palms, hand motion, and the ability to pick things up. In HoloLens 1 only basic finger taps and palm moves were available.
What is new in the field of view
A small field of view was one of the biggest disadvantages of HoloLens 1. But things have changed in the second generation of AR smart glasses. HoloLens 2 has a field of view of 52’ (twice more than before) offering a more immersive experience for users. Still there remains one problem that needs a solution - the vertical field of view. We hope the third generation will figure it out.
Ergonomics of the device has undergone changes, too
Good news - you can wear the smart glasses for more than 5 minutes now! Microsoft has taken care of your comfort while experiencing AR. The HoloLens 2 are much more comfortable with a dial-in-fit system. The size is the same, but the weight decreased a bit. Also, it is more convenient to wear the device on your head for a long time with a special knob helping to better fit the tool.
Voice command upgrades
In the HoloLens 2 voice-tracking has been added. This has taken everything to an entirely new level.
Which generation is better?
Both HoloLens 1 and HoloLens 2 are created for businesses to reach new heights. The devices can be implemented in various industries and turn out as a great solution. The fields vary much. These AR glasses are beneficial for doing scientific research as well as for boosting sales by letting customers interact with a product before they decide to buy it.
HoloLens 2 has more advantages than the first generation. It’s a marked improvement that provides users with more cool functions and opportunities. HoloLens 2 works perfectly well for the enterprise market. Consider that the newer device ensures the protection of your biometrics in real time.
So, if you are a business owner, take a closer look at the Hololens 2 and think about implementing it into your workflow.
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Our team works with different industries and areas and follows the industry's best practices and trends to add a unique flavor to your project to create an excellent and memorable user experience.
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