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What Meta May Unveil at Connect 2026: Project Phoenix, Codec Avatars, and AI Wearables
Meta has confirmed Connect for September 23–24 in Menlo Park, but Project Phoenix and a “hologram like” Codec Avatar calling demo remain unannounced reports. Leaked firmware imagery reportedly shows Phoenix as an open periphery, glasses style mixed reality headset that shifts compute and battery weight to a wired ex...
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Key takeaways
- Meta has confirmed Connect for September 23–24 in Menlo Park, but Project Phoenix and a “hologram like” Codec Avatar calling demo remain unannounced reports.
- Leaked firmware imagery reportedly shows Phoenix as an open periphery, glasses style mixed reality headset that shifts compute and battery weight to a wired external puck.
- Citi has put Meta on a 90 day upside catalyst watch with a Buy rating and $800 price target, citing potential Connect updates on Muse AI models and Meta Glasses—not Phoenix alone.
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Meta Connect is scheduled for September 23–24, 2026, at Meta’s Menlo Park campus. Meta says the event will cover VR, wearables, the metaverse, and AI, but it has not announced Project Phoenix or a Codec Avatar calling product. 13
Reports and firmware findings nevertheless point to a consequential preview: a much lighter mixed-reality device, paired with a more lifelike form of remote presence. The important caveat is that the details below are reported rather than confirmed specifications or launch commitments.
Project Phoenix: a headset designed to feel less like a Quest
Project Phoenix is the reported codename for Meta’s next premium mixed-reality headset. Firmware visuals are said to show a slim, glasses-adjacent device with nose pads and an open periphery, unlike the face-sealing design of current Quest headsets. That design could allow users to retain some natural peripheral awareness while viewing camera-passthrough mixed reality. 17
The central engineering idea is a tethered compute puck. Reporting describes a cable-connected external unit that carries the battery and computing hardware, reducing the mass of the portion worn on the face. Earlier reporting characterized the headset target as under 110 grams; that figure is not an official Meta specification. 12
Setup material reportedly indicates eye and hand tracking, with no conventional motion controllers shown. If the final device follows that approach, interaction would depend more heavily on gaze and hand input than on Quest-style controllers. 22
What remains unknown
Even the apparent firmware material does not establish a final retail product. Meta has not confirmed Phoenix’s consumer name, price, display specifications, exact weight, availability, or release date. Reporting based on leaked internal material says the ultralight headset was delayed to the first half of 2027, making a Connect preview more plausible than an immediate launch. 11
The reported “hologram-like” calling demo
A second reported Connect demonstration would use Meta’s photorealistic Codec Avatars in a spatial calling experience. The term “hologram-like” describes the intended impression of another person appearing present in the user’s space; it should not be read as evidence of a literal holographic display. 10
Firmware-related reporting has identified references to “Hologram Calling” within Horizon OS alongside Codec Avatars. That suggests Meta may be exploring a calling framework rather than treating the avatars solely as a research demonstration, but no public product or developer API has been confirmed. 2
Codec Avatars are a long-running Reality Labs Research effort. Meta says its lab has been working on lifelike avatars since 2015. The hurdle is not simply rendering a human-like face: a commercially useful system must also capture, animate, transmit, and render a convincing representation with low enough latency for a natural conversation.
How this compares with Apple Vision Pro Personas
Apple’s Vision Pro introduced Personas in beta in 2024, offering a system for generating and animating a user’s digital representation. Academic work on Codec Avatars explicitly noted the arrival of Apple Persona as a comparable application for rapid avatar generation and driving.
The two approaches should not be treated as directly benchmarked rivals. A reported Meta demo could emphasize photorealistic telepresence and spatial calling, while Apple’s Personas are an existing Vision Pro feature. Until Meta presents a public product and independent comparisons are available, there is no basis for declaring either implementation superior.
What Phoenix and Codec Avatars would say about Meta’s strategy
Taken together, the reported hardware and calling features suggest a practical interpretation of Meta’s spatial-computing strategy: lighter wearable displays, AI-enabled interfaces, and communication experiences that make distant people feel more present. Meta’s confirmed Connect agenda spans wearables and AI alongside VR and the metaverse, while reported Hologram Calling assets have appeared in a glasses-oriented context. 13
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That would be a notable change in emphasis from virtual worlds and stylized social avatars toward everyday-use hardware and more natural remote interaction. It is an interpretation of the reported direction, not a confirmed Meta product roadmap.
Why investors are watching Connect
Citi analyst Ronald Josey placed Meta on a 90-day upside catalyst watch ahead of Connect, retained a Buy rating, and maintained an $800 price target. Citi’s stated focus includes updates on Muse, Meta’s next-generation models, and Meta Glasses strategy. 1
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That view is an analyst opinion, not a prediction of Meta’s share price or a guarantee that Connect will deliver the rumored hardware. For observers of the event, the more useful signal may be whether Meta can connect its AI work, glasses ambitions, Horizon OS, and mixed-reality research into a clear consumer product story.
What to watch for at the keynote
- Official naming: Whether Meta acknowledges Phoenix or introduces the device under a different retail brand.
- The architecture: Confirmation of the external compute-and-battery puck, controller-free input, and open-periphery design.
- Product status: A technology demonstration, developer preview, or a dated consumer release are materially different announcements.
- Codec Avatar availability: Evidence that Hologram Calling is moving beyond research, including compatible hardware and any user-creation requirements.
- The broader platform: How Muse, Meta Glasses, Horizon OS, and mixed reality fit together in Meta’s next computing-platform pitch.
For now, the confirmed news is the event itself. Phoenix and hologram-like calling are credible reports to watch—not products Meta has formally promised. 13
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What is the short answer to "What Meta May Unveil at Connect 2026: Project Phoenix, Codec Avatars, and AI Wearables"?
Meta has confirmed Connect for September 23–24 in Menlo Park, but Project Phoenix and a “hologram like” Codec Avatar calling demo remain unannounced reports.
What are the key points to validate first?
Meta has confirmed Connect for September 23–24 in Menlo Park, but Project Phoenix and a “hologram like” Codec Avatar calling demo remain unannounced reports. Leaked firmware imagery reportedly shows Phoenix as an open periphery, glasses style mixed reality headset that shifts compute and battery weight to a wired external puck.
What should I do next in practice?
Citi has put Meta on a 90 day upside catalyst watch with a Buy rating and $800 price target, citing potential Connect updates on Muse AI models and Meta Glasses—not Phoenix alone.