Meta reportedly pushes back launch of mixed-reality headset positioned against Apple Vision Pro: here's what we know

Meta is delaying the launch of its new mixed reality glasses, which were slated to release in the first half of 2026, according to a report by Business Insider. Reportedly, the glasses, code-named “Phoenix”, are being pushed back to the first half of 2027, and the change was confirmed in a memo to employees by Maher Saba, VP of Reality Labs Foundation at Meta.

In another memo viewed by the publication, metaverse leaders Gabriel Aul and Ryan Cairns said the company is moving the release date back to “give us a lot more breathing room to get the details right.”

“There’s a lot coming in hot with tight bring-up schedules and big changes to our core UX, and we won’t compromise on landing a fully polished and reliable experience,” they added.

Saba reportedly said in the memo that after a recent meeting with CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Reality Labs received feedback on its plans for 2026. He said the feedback “focused on making the business sustainable and taking extra time to deliver our experiences with higher quality.”

“Based on that, many teams in Reality Labs will need to adjust their plans and timelines. Extending timelines is not an opportunity for us to add more features or take on additional work,” he added.

Meanwhile, the company reportedly plans to release a new limited edition wearable device in 2026, code-named “Malibu 2”.

Meta is also said to be working on a next generation Quest device that will focus on immersive gaming and represent a large upgrade in terms of capabilities compared to existing devices, while also aiming to significantly improve unit economics.

The tech giant announced the acquisition of AI wearable startup Limitless earlier this week. The company produces a pendant capable of recording, transcribing and summarising real world conversations to act as a personal memory augmentation system.

Meta is also expected to face competition in this space from OpenAI, which is said to be working on its own AI hardware that could launch around 2027.

The glasses are said to resemble the Apple Vision Pro, but could be lighter and more comfortable to prevent overheating.