AR eyewear maker Magic Leap recently announced an early partner for its Magic Leap 2 glasses, suggesting that the once consumer-centric company is still advancing its enterprise-centric business.
In a press release, Magic Leap listed four healthcare partners that are using the device: Sentier, a clinical data visualization company, SyncThink, a neurotechnology company, Heru, a diagnostics company, and Brainlab, a surgical software tool.
It is reported that the Magic Leap 2 is scheduled to be released in mid-2022, which is smaller and lighter than the Magic Leap glasses that debuted in 2018. Magic Leap CEO Peggy Johnson said it will be slightly more expensive than the previous generation, starting at $2295.
Peggy Johnson also said Magic Leap sees potential for buyers in the industry used to wearing glasses, a category that includes surgeons and manufacturing workers, and magic Leap is also interested in military customers who can use glasses for training. It is reported that the company had previously wanted to sign a contract with the U.S. Army, but was eventually taken down by rival Microsoft's HoloLens.
Magic Leap, a consumer AR glasses company, raised billions of dollars, but in the face of massive layoffs in 2020, the company quickly scaled back its plans and replaced its former CEO, Rony Abovitz, with Johnson.
It reportedly considered takeover offers from other companies, but eventually raised $500 million for the business last year. If Magic Leap makes a comeback to the consumer market, it may find itself competing with more established brands like Snap and Meta, however, the company is clearly absolutely open to returning, though Johnson said AR technology must become smaller and its potential applications more compelling to be worth the shift.