Meta may have leaked the first look at its slim ‘Project Phoenix’ headset
Project Phoenix doesn’t quite look like smart glasses, but it’s much smaller than Meta’s other headsets.
Project Phoenix doesn’t quite look like smart glasses, but it’s much smaller than Meta’s other headsets.
by
Stevie Bonifield
Sep 11, 2026, 3:38 PM UTC
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UploadVRStevie Bonifield
is a news writer covering all things consumer tech. Stevie started out at Laptop Mag writing news and reviews on hardware, gaming, and AI.
Just a couple of weeks beforeMeta Connectstarts on September 23rd,UploadVRposted images seemingly revealing the design for Meta’s “Project Phoenix” headset. The images, whichUploadVRsays were “found in the HorizonOS Prescription Lens firmware package,” suggest Meta may be looking to compete with devices like those fromXrealorViture. These companies’ mixed reality glasses are a bit bulkier than something like Meta’s Ray-Ban AI smart glasses, but a step down from a full VR headset like Meta’s Quest 3.
This leak shows something that’s almost in between larger headsets and smart glasses, with lenses set into a slim, glasses-style frame. A shot from behind shows a wire extending from one of the earpieces, possibly for a battery or compute puck. There also appear to be outward- and downward-facing cameras in the earpieces.
Project Phoenix has been in the works for a while now, and isn’t expected to launchuntil next year. Google is also working on a pair ofProject Aura XR glassesin a similar vein, with an external compute puck that’s wired to the frames.
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