From The Verge · Stevie Bonifield · · 1m 20s
Meta's slimmest headset may have leaked early
Firmware files appear to show Project Phoenix, a glasses-shaped Meta headset with a wired compute puck.
In brief
Firmware files appear to show Project Phoenix, a glasses-shaped Meta headset with a wired compute puck. Meta looks set to slot a slim, tethered headset between its smart glasses and the Quest, with a launch still a year out. Originally reported by The Verge.
A leak right before Connect
UploadVR posted images that appear to show Meta's "Project Phoenix" headset, roughly two weeks before Meta Connect opens on September 23rd.
Found inside firmware
The images came out of the HorizonOS Prescription Lens firmware package, according to UploadVR, rather than any official Meta reveal.
“found in the HorizonOS Prescription Lens firmware package”
Aimed at Xreal and Viture
The design suggests Meta wants a piece of the mixed reality glasses market, where rivals sit above Ray-Ban smart glasses but below a full Quest 3.
Neither glasses nor headset
Lenses are set into a slim, glasses-style frame. It is much smaller than Meta's other headsets without pretending to be ordinary eyewear.
“almost in between larger headsets and smart glasses”
A wire out the earpiece
A shot from behind shows a cable running from one earpiece, likely to a battery or compute puck. Outward- and downward-facing cameras appear in the earpieces too.
Not this year, and not alone
Project Phoenix has been in development a while and is not expected until next year. Google is building Project Aura XR glasses with a similar wired puck.
The one thing
Meta looks set to slot a slim, tethered headset between its smart glasses and the Quest, with a launch still a year out.
