Looking Glass, a Brooklyn-based startup, has unveiled three new holographic displays, with two already available for purchase and the third set to arrive later this month. While all three displays are exciting, the most noteworthy is the Looking Glass Go, priced at an affordable $299. The company has been grappling with the challenge of high prices for its holographic displays, and the Go marks a significant step in overcoming this barrier to entry.
To address the issue of cost, Looking Glass introduced the $399 Portrait at the end of 2020, which served as a holographic digital photo frame. Building on this success, the Go was launched as part of a Kickstarter campaign. With its 6-inch display, the size of a smartphone, and a foldable base for convenience, the Go offers a compact and user-friendly holographic experience.
In addition to making the hardware more accessible, Looking Glass has also focused on lowering the barrier on the content side. Users can now display spatial images using their own devices, such as the iPhone 15 Pro and Vision Pro headset, thanks to a feature introduced by Apple. Furthermore, Looking Glass provides software that can convert 2D photos to 3D, enabling users to easily transfer and view their converted images on the holographic displays via Wi-Fi.
Looking Glass emphasizes the need for a headset-free holographic device for mainstream users, especially with the advancements in technology, such as Apple’s Vision Pro and spatial 3D capture capabilities on phones. The company recognizes that it’s time to cater to a wider audience and offer a more affordable solution.
Prior to the launch of the Go, Looking Glass had already shipped tens of thousands of displays. However, with the new price point starting at just under $300, the company is poised to significantly expand its customer base, attracting those who were previously intrigued by the technology but deterred by the high costs. This move positions Looking Glass as a leader in making holographic displays more accessible and appealing to a broader market.
Overall, Looking Glass is breaking down barriers in the holographic display industry by offering affordable options for consumers. With the release of the Looking Glass Go and the continued efforts to improve cost-efficiency, the company is making holography more attainable and revolutionizing the way we interact with and view images in three dimensions.
