More on Meta AR Poaching Spree; Snap’s Latest Hardware Acquisition

Last summer, Microsoft’s leader on its HoloLens AR headset initiatives told The Wall Street Journal that the company is “absolutely working on” a consumer AR device, but declined to give any kind of timeline on when to expect it. It’s likely that Microsoft’s new AR chip collaboration with Qualcomm is also part of this plan, but a new report from the Journal raises the question of whether Microsoft can retain AR talent long enough to get a jump on the competition.

The major culprit? Meta Platforms, of course. The Journal reports that over 40 HoloLens team members have left for Meta within the past year. This comes on the heels of news that a surprise spree of bonuses at Apple was intended (at least in part) to stop Meta’s drain on company talent, particularly in hardware and silicon teams.