Meta Connect 2026: Expect camera-free smart glasses, Phoenix headset, and new AI
Meta preparing version of smart glasses without cameras (photo: Unsplash)
Meta is preparing its biggest presentation of the year, where it will showcase new smart glasses, AI technologies, and mixed reality devices, according to Mark Zuckerberg on Instagram.
The upcoming presentation promises to be packed.
The company's CEO Mark Zuckerberg will speak on September 23 at 7:00 PM ET, after which specialized sessions for developers will begin the following day.
Among the main themes of the event are the expansion of the smart glasses lineup, new AI releases, and long-awaited hardware devices.
New and updated smart glasses: a focus on privacy
One of the company's most interesting strategic moves is the development of glasses without built-in cameras, which will be released in two styles and will have additional microphones for communicating with the AI assistant.
Eliminating cameras will allow the glasses to be thinner, visually closer to ordinary eyeglasses, and will also help reduce the level of criticism regarding privacy and scandals involving hidden recording.
Meta Chief Technology Officer Andrew Bosworth previously noted that the company is preparing separate explanations and measures to combat violators who attempt to tape over or modify the indicator LED lights.
Additionally, new products from partner Ray-Ban are expected, as well as possible announcements of the next generation of devices with displays built into the lenses - the so-called "Hypernova 2" platform.
Mysterious "Phoenix" mixed reality headset
The main hardware intrigue of the event could be a lightweight mixed reality headset under the codename Phoenix.
Images of the device recently appeared in internal HorizonOS updates: they show a thin gadget that uses a wired connection to a separate compact unit.
Preliminarily, the headset will rely on eye and hand tracking systems instead of classic controllers and will become one of the first platforms based on the newest Qualcomm Snapdragon Reality Elite chip.
Artificial intelligence and the developer ecosystem
Against the backdrop of a massive wave of updates in the field of artificial intelligence, the company will pay special attention to its AI agent Muse, whose integration with smart glasses is expected to happen very soon.
Furthermore, developers can expect news regarding the expansion of third-party app support for the smart glasses ecosystem, as well as updates to the virtual space along with prospects for the development of holographic avatars, which were first demonstrated in the Orion prototype.
