Meta Delays Phoenix Mixed Reality Glasses Launch Until 2027
Meta will push back the commercial release of its lighter weight mixed reality glasses code named Phoenix from the second half of 2026 to 2027, a move that underscores mounting budget pressure inside Reality Labs and alters competitive expectations across the AR and MR sector. The postponement matters for investors, partners and suppliers because it stretches the timeline for hardware driven revenue and may reshape the companys capital allocation for immersive technologies.
Meta plans to postpone the commercial launch of Phoenix, its lower weight mixed reality glasses formerly known as Puffin, to 2027, Reuters reported on December 6. The company cited an internal memo reported by Business Insider that said executives want more time to refine the product and its design. Phoenix is described in reporting as weighing roughly 100 grams, using lower resolution displays and carrying less on device compute than premium headsets such as Apples Vision Pro, which retails at $3,499. The device is positioned as a more accessible option intended to broaden mainstream adoption of augmented and mixed reality.
The delay comes as Reality Labs, Meta's hardware and immersive software division, faces mounting budget scrutiny. Bloomberg and other outlets have reported that Reality Labs may undergo significant cuts as the parent company seeks to rein in costs after years of heavy investment in metaverse ambitions. Meta has not issued a public confirmation of the new timeline beyond responding to media queries, leaving investors and partners to parse second hand reports and internal memos.
Market implications are immediate. Pushing Phoenix into 2027 shifts the competitive timing for an industry race that includes Apple and smaller hardware makers. A lighter, lower cost device aimed at mass market uptake was expected to be Meta's bridge between research prototypes and everyday consumer wearables. Delaying that bridge extends the period in which high end, high price devices like Apple's Vision Pro dominate headlines and early adopter sales, while broader consumer penetration of mixed reality remains nascent.
For Meta investors the postponement is significant because Reality Labs has been a major cost center, absorbing billions of dollars in research, development and manufacturing build out. Delays to product launches typically defer revenue and can extend operating losses in divisions that are not yet profitable. Analysts will be watching Meta's upcoming earnings guidance for signs of revised timelines and for specifics on any cost cutting within Reality Labs that could affect headcount, supplier orders and long lead manufacturing commitments.
Supply chain partners face practical consequences as well. A later ramp can reduce near term orders for components and assembly capacity, but it can also allow Meta to negotiate more favorable terms as it tightens budgets. For competing hardware makers, the delay creates a window to consolidate developer ecosystems and consumer mindshare, or to accelerate their own lower cost propositions.
Longer term the move signals a broader industry trend toward lighter, less compute intensive wearable designs as technology companies search for a viable consumer form factor. The trade off between performance and accessibility will shape who wins mainstream adoption. What to watch next is whether Meta publicly confirms the internal memo, how it adjusts Reality Labs spending plans, and whether competitors accelerate or decelerate their product roadmaps in response to the revised timing.
