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Magic Leap 2 is now commercially available for purchase in the U.S. and select other countries for $3,299. The augmented reality headset is aimed at immersive apps for the enterprise.
Magic Leap 2 is designed for business utility, comfort and sustained use, and is 20% lighter and 50% smaller in volume than Magic Leap 1, which debuted in 2018 for $2,295.
Magic Leap 2 integrates new improvements to address the past barriers that have prevented the widespread adoption of AR technology, including the largest field of view compared to similar, currently available AR devices, and dynamic dimming, which enables more effective use in brightly lit settings (such as outdoors) with greater image solidity.
At the recent Nvidia’s GTC22, Lowe’s showed how it is using Magic Leap 2 headsets to show its staff in its warehouses how to recognize various items in the stacks and other uses. It also fits with Nvidia’s Omniverse tech, which is being used to build digital twins of enterprise facilities.
Lowe’s retail associates are able to view digital content in the store to help reconfigure layouts, provide restocking support, and enable real-time collaboration. Using the technology, the associate can access more detailed information right in front of them, while saving time by not having to climb ladders or track down physical labels.
“You’re not imagining it – talk of an Augmented Reality (AR) future is everywhere these days,” said Magic Leap CEO Peggy Johnson, in a blog post. “For those of us who live and breathe this industry, it’s no surprise. We’ve done a lot of work to get to what we know is a transformational moment in the way humans interact with technology.”
It also includes an open platform that gives enterprises and developers flexibility, cloud autonomy and data privacy.
Magic Leap 2 is available in three editions – Base, Developer Pro, and Enterprise – starting at $3,299. Magic Leap 2 Developer Pro will start at $4,099, while Enterprise will be $4,999.
While it’s expensive, Magic Leap isn’t pushing the product as a consumer device anymore, as it did with its first generation. It is now emphasizing the enterprise and the tech.
Johnson said there are more than 3,000 product and platform innovations in the device, and it has a lot of learning for what works and what doesn’t.
“We understand better than anyone the remaining hurdles that hold back widespread AR adoption, and we’ve worked tirelessly to solve those challenges,” Johnson said. “While it’s energizing to see AR leap into headlines and the surging conversation around topics like the metaverse, it’s time for the utility of the technology to be demonstrated, not just discussed. That’s where my focus has been since joining Magic Leap just over two years ago.”
Purpose built for the enterprise
Despite everything we hear about the metaverse and consumer applications, there is real progress being made in the enterprise, Johnson said.
“In the last several years, we’ve seen AR begin providing utility across industries like healthcare, manufacturing and the public sector, and we’re seeing that interest increase as the technology continues to advance, user experience improves, and more applications are developed,” she said.
It’s for this reason that Johnson focused the company’s efforts on the enterprise, including tailoring the next generation device, Magic Leap 2, specifically for enterprise customers.
Johnson said that PBC Linear, a manufacturing company based in the midwest, turned to AR technology to implement new workforce training, realizing a more than 80% reduction in training time for new hires and a 20% reduction in scrap and rework in the production process.
“Already, we are seeing how Magic Leap 2 is improving hybrid work environments, simplifying new hire training, and revolutionizing the way healthcare professionals learn and better serve their patients. Magic Leap 2 is having a real impact and delivering meaningful value for enterprises,” Johnson said.
While touting the progress, Johnson acknowledged the tech is a work in progress on the road to the metaverse.
“In the many conversations that I’ve had with business leaders, I have heard firsthand how AR is being heralded as the next technological disruption, but the immense promise and list of benefits it has to offer still feels just out of reach,” she said.
Magic Leap 2 is now available to all customers in the United States, Canada, UK, EU (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland), and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Availability in Japan and Singapore is expected before the end of the year.
Widespread availability of the Magic Leap 2 comes after a successful early access Program with companies like Cisco, SentiAR, NeuroSync, Heru, Taqtile, PTC and Brainlab. During this period, Magic Leap continued to refine and improve the device for training, communication, remote assistance use cases in clinical settings, industrial environments, defense, and retail stores.
