The high-end mixed reality glasses were initially expected to arrive next year
Meta has reportedly pushed back the release of its advanced mixed reality glasses, codenamed Phoenix, from 2026 to the first half of 2027.
That’s according to internal memos viewed by Business Insider, which suggests the delay is intended to give the Reality Labs team “breathing room” to ensure the device is polished at launch.
The Phoenix project is described as having a goggle-like form factor, connected to a separate compute puck to reduce weight and heat on the face—a design choice said to have been inspired by the Apple Vision Pro’s battery-pack approach.
The memo also revealed that Meta plans to release a different, “limited edition” wearable, codenamed ‘Malibu 2’, in 2026, and is starting work on a next-generation Quest headset focused on immersive gaming with “significantly improved unit economics.”
The Wareable take
This delay is significant in the context of the brewing smart glasses industry.
Though Google and Samsung have now each officially teased their debut Android XR glasses for 2026, and Apple is rumored to be working on its own, Meta is choosing to cede time in exchange for quality.
If true—and there’s a strong likelihood, based on previous BI reporting, that it is, it would suggest Meta is wary of releasing half-baked hardware in a category that demands perfection to gain mainstream acceptance. And that’s especially likely, given that it’s become the undisputed category leader since producing the original Meta Ray-Ban glasses.
For now, we’ll have to wait for an update from Meta—which likely won’t arrive until later next year—on an official timeline. So, stay tuned.
