HoloLens 3 may not be dead after all, suggests device's creator

Hololens 2015
Hololens 2015 (Image credit: Microsoft)

What you need to know

  • Microsoft's Alex Kipman may have just refuted the claim that the HoloLens 3 is canceled.
  • Earlier this week, a report claimed that the HoloLens division was in complete disarray and that HoloLens 3 was canceled in mid 2021.
  • In response to the report, Kipman said "don't believe what you read on the internet," claiming HoloLens is doing great.

Update 11 PM ET 2/4/2022: Business Insider has since published a new report that refutes Kipman's claim in his tweet, as well as shedding much more light on Microsoft's mixed reality plans.

Microsoft's Alex Kipman appears to disagree with the reports claiming that the HoloLens 3 was canceled. Kipman, a technical fellow at Microsoft and overseer of the company's Mixed Reality division, took to Twitter to refute the claims.

The entire HoloLens division came under fire following an Insider report that included information from "more than 20 current and former employees" at Microsoft. Our Executive Editor Daniel Rubino said that he's "never heard of such a division in this much chaos in all [his] years of covering Microsoft."

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The report outlined a division in disarray, including Microsoft not having a clear vision for its mixed reality devices. The piece claimed that the HoloLens 3 was canceled in mid-2021, that Microsoft's partnership with Samsung caused rifts, and that at least 25 Microsoft employees working on mixed reality have left for Meta. It also stated that Microsoft's $22 billion contract with the U.S. military is behind schedule due to headset development issues.

In stark contrast to these points, Kipman claims HoloLens is doing great.

Kipman also notes that in earlier times there were reports of the HoloLens 2 being canceled. That device ultimately shipped, disproving such claims.

Nonetheless, Business Insider published a new report that directly refutes Kipman's claims with one source calling it "complete bullsh-t."

Sean Endicott
News Writer

Sean Endicott is a News Writer at Windows Central, where he covers Windows 11, Surface hardware, Microsoft 365, AI, apps, and the broader PC ecosystem. Since joining the site in 2017, he has written well over a thousand articles across the Microsoft landscape, covering breaking news, analysis, and feature reporting.

He writes Windows Wrap, a weekly column covering the biggest stories in Windows and the PC industry, and what they mean for the platform going forward.

Before joining Windows Central full-time, Sean worked in journalism and media production after earning a First Class degree in Broadcast Journalism from Nottingham Trent University. Outside of tech, he is an award-winning American football coach based in Nottingham, England, and was named BAFCA Youth Coach of the Year in 2024.