From TechRadar · · 1m 30s
Meta's Project Phoenix leaks, and it looks like glasses
Meta's next mixed reality device has leaked, and it looks far less like a headset than a pair of glasses.
In brief
Meta's next mixed reality device has leaked, and it looks far less like a headset than a pair of glasses. Phoenix is Meta trying to turn a headset into eyewear, which means comfort, not raw power, is the pitch. Originally reported by TechRadar.
Phoenix shows up early
The first images of Meta's Project Phoenix mixed reality device are out before any official reveal, so the hardware gets judged before Meta can frame it.
It reads as eyewear
The leaked device looks like glasses rather than a visor. There is no deep front enclosure, none of the shape people associate with a mixed reality headset.
Thin and light is the point
Slimness is the whole headline. The frames carry nothing like the bulk Meta has asked people to strap to their faces before.
The weight moved elsewhere
A frame that thin cannot hold much battery or silicon. Something off the face has to carry the load, and that trade is what buys the light build.
A break from Quest
Quest 3S is a headset you put on for a session. Phoenix looks like something you could leave on, which changes what Meta can ask of a wearer.
A crowded race
Xreal's Aura and Samsung's Intelligent Eyewear are chasing the same slim shape. Phoenix has to land in a category Meta no longer has to itself.
What to remember
Phoenix is Meta trying to turn a headset into eyewear, which means comfort, not raw power, is the pitch.
