Earlier this year, Microsoft announced the discontinuation of HoloLens 2, with Microsoft Mixed Reality CVP Robin Seiler confirming Microsoft’s stance on HoloLens and its mixed reality ambition by explaining, “transitioning away from hardware development but will continue to provide support for HoloLens2 hardware and software through 2027, as announced in October.”
In an official press statement, Microsoft added:
On behalf of the entire HoloLens team, we thank our dedicated customers, partners, MVPs and developer community for helping to push the boundaries of the world of augmented reality for the past 8+ years.
Microsoft has announced a “last time to buy” period for the remaining units of the HoloLens 2. These devices will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis and available exclusively through Microsoft or its official resellers. The warranty and customer/developer support will remain unchanged despite this announcement.
While this news might suggest the end of the HoloLens 2, Microsoft intends to continue supporting the device through updates that will address security and major functionalities until December 31, 2027.
Furthermore, amidst numerous reports of device discontinuation and a clear plan indicating the eventual end of technical support for HoloLens, Microsoft encountered a major setback earlier this month when it lost the U.S. Military’s IVAS contract, valued at approximately $22 billion.
With the HoloLens being a trusted MR hardware solution for enterprise clients in Aerospace, healthcare, and beyond, a gap formed in the market during the first half of 2025. Now, new players must fill this gap, but which firm can answer the calls of early enterprise XR adopters?
AndriodXR: Google Glass Returns
Could Google fill this gap? The once-leading XR innovators behind the Google Glass device may jump into the enterprise XR market, just as Microsoft jumps out, this time with AndroidXR.
At the TED2025 conference, Shahram Izadi, the head of Google’s AndroidXR development team, publicly demonstrated the upcoming operating system for smart glasses. This followed the initial launch set for the new year. During the presentation, he showcased a prototype pair of smart glasses. The live demonstration highlighted features such as real-time translation, image recognition, and the ability to connect seamlessly with other Android devices.
Google introduced AndroidXR, a new operating system for extended reality, late last year. During the announcement, they emphasised the role of Gemini AI assistants in enhancing user interactions with the headset and its visualisations.
Built on a familiar Android foundation, this XR operating system supports a wide range of existing mobile and tablet applications and specially designed Android XR content. This development addresses a significant barrier to the broader adoption of XR technology: users need access to various applications and engaging services to justify investing in an XR device.
Interestingly, Google said in an official press release, “We are opening a path for developing a wide array of Android XR devices to meet the diverse needs of people and businesses,” showing the enterprise market is clearly in Google’s sights.
AndriodXR is a platform that powers Google-branded smart glasses and helps boost the abilities of other XR device vendors, such as XREAL, HTC VIVE, and Samsung.
The Apple Wild Card
Apple has officially announced the dates for its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC). The conference has a history of showcasing the company’s key XR announcements, including the Vision Pro mixed reality headset. The event will be held at Apple Park from June 9 to 13, 2025, and will offer insights into Apple’s innovations across its entire portfolio, with a focus on the Vision Pro.
Earlier this year at CES, NVIDIA featured the Vision Pro as part of its technology stack for physical AI developments, suggesting that further enterprise-focused announcements could come during WWDC 2025. While Apple has not yet confirmed whether the Vision Pro will be present at WWDC, considering last year’s announcements and the incremental updates to visionOS since late 2024, an announcement will likely occur during the event.
The firm will undoubtedly announce new Vision Pro updates that may help fill the HoloLens gap. However, recent developments also suggest that Apple is working on smart glasses-while far away, the interest is clear.
Don’t Forget Meta
Industry leader Meta has always been deeply involved in the smart glasses race. Most recently, Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses received a big, long-awaited AI upgrade in the UK. However, this device is very much consumer-facing.
That being said, at Meta Connect 2024, Mark Zuckerberg, CEO and Founder of Meta, unveiled a prototype for the much-hyped Orion device, a pair of breakthrough AR smart glasses.
During the event, Zuckerberg called the device “the most advanced glasses in the world and our first prototype of full holographic AR.” Zuckerberg also unveiled a significant breakthrough: neural interface interaction. Orion allows, via a wrist device, users to interact with smart glasses using their brain’s electrical activity.
Following the reveal, CTO Andrew Bosworth dropped an interview explaining Orion’s journey; he stated:
We just revealed Orion, our AR glass prototype. Building full AR glasses like these with a wide field of view display, wireless AI built-in, running all the core experiences you’d expect, has been something we’ve been working on for nearly a decade now. When we first started this project, teams crunched the numbers, and they thought our chances of building one of these were 10%. So we overcame a lot of odds to build these glasses.
This device is clearly years away. However, the cross-pollination of Orion research into Ray Ban smart glasses and, in turn, MR enterprise solutions is a keen area of interest for avid XR followers.
Moreover, following a revigorated approach to Meta for Work and Education, which includes third-party MDM support for the former, an enterprise MR focus for the Quest portfolio may equally fill the HoloLens gap.
Recently, Accenture, a pioneer in exploring extended reality, has investigated how augmented, virtual, and mixed reality can positively impact business operations. One of their most recent achievements involves collaborating with industry leaders at Meta to develop an enterprise-ready Metaverse service, laying the groundwork for future advancements.
However, Reality Lab is losing employees, so the future of the leading Meta is unclear.
What’s Next?
The future of immersive solutions for enterprise is ever-emerging, and the complete picture is still being defined as research into AR/MR devices becomes more informed and the devices reflect the needs and hurdles of end users.
However, following the discontinuation of HoloLens, a major shockwave is present in the XR space. Many more vendors, listed here and many more unlisted, are ready to pick up where Microsoft started.
Which firm will be on top? Let us know your thoughts.
