First images of the Microsoft HoloLens 2 leak just hours before launch

Microsoft scheduled to hold a presentation at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona today and the attendance of CEO Satya Nadella with HoloLens chief Alex Kipman has fueled expectations of a HoloLens 2 launch. The event is scheduled to begin in a couple of hours from now but photos of the alleged HoloLens 2 have already leaked online. 

The photos were posted by well-known Microsoft watcher WalkingCat on Twitter. We don't exactly know what the specs of the new device are but we do get an overall impression that Microsoft has focused on the ergonomics in this generation. What we do know is that Intel will not be developing a custom CPU for HoloLens 2 and the device is likely to be powered by an ARM chip of the likes of the Qualcomm XR1 alongside a dedicated holographic processing unit (HPU). This should enable more affordable versions of the device at a sub-US$1,000 price point.

It also looks like we will be seeing a camera and sensor layout similar to the old device. One new feature we get to see from these images is menu tapping, which is not available in the older version. One of the main problems that plagued the previous generation HoloLens was the limited field of view. Hopefully, Microsoft has remedied this issue in the new iteration.

The Microsoft HoloLens has found applications in design, medicine, and various other industries. Recently, Microsoft was awarded a US$480 million contract to develop the HoloLens for military applications but the Redmond-giant's employees have expressed dissent in this regard.

Of course, we can expect even more surprises at the actual event, which is scheduled to begin at 18:00 CET (9 AM PT) today. We'll be sure to get you all the juicy details as they unfold so stay tuned.