Meta has reportedly pushed back the release of its mixed reality (MR) glasses, codenamed "Phoenix", to 2027. That's despite having already spent billions of dollars on projects for digitally enhancing our everyday world. On the plus side, we have received more information on the next Quest headset.
Allegedly stated in two internal memos seen by Business Insider, Meta is reportedly pushing back the glasses to "get the details right". These memos are said to state that Meta needs "breathing room" in order to put out a "fully polished" device. It was originally suggested to launch in the latter half of 2026.
Reports suggest Meta's MR glasses are a bit closer to goggles and even come with a power puck, like the Apple Vision Pro. If true, this would tether the device somewhat but could also allow for a more lightweight feel in the headset itself.
With the current state of AI, and worries around privacy that come from someone being able to capture or stream any moment for any reason, I don't think I'm particularly excited for a world with more smart glasses in it. This is before mentioning that data taken with smart glasses will be used to train AI (unless you specifically opt out).
Meta is reportedly working on getting at least one device out in 2026: the wearable "Malibu 2". We know very little about this device, but we do know that Meta recently acquired AI startup Limitless, which recently put out a wearable AI pendant. It is suggested that the Malibu 2 is attempting to do something similar.
Finally, a memo between Meta and Meta-owned studio Reality Labs says that work is underway on its next virtual reality (VR) headset. UploadVR claims this will likely be called the Quest 4. The new Quest is said to be a "large upgrade" over previous Quest devices and will "significantly improve unit economics".
Interestingly, there's no mention of Orion, which is the codename for Meta's augmented reality (AR) glasses. The aforementioned Phoenix itself is counted as MR. Though one might argue that mixed and augmented reality are very similar, Meta has previously gone to great lengths to signify the difference.
As explained by Meta, "AR overlays don't interact with the real world, though you may be able to interact with them depending on the software in use. MR is another matter. It overlays the real world with digital elements and the physical and digital objects co-exist and react to each other in real time."
Though it's unclear what has happened to project Orion, it does reportedly also have a compute puck, so there's a chance it's part of the same project with a different name.
One thing is clear, though: Meta is committed to smart glasses. The Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses are now onto their second generation, and earlier this year, Mark Zuckerberg said anyone without AI glasses will "be at a pretty significant cognitive disadvantage". It seems like you have until 2027 to brush up on your brain training, then.
