Meta Connect 2026 Preview: Zuckerberg to Showcase Camera-Free AI Glasses and Mixed Reality Headset

Meta will hold its biggest annual event, Meta Connect 2026, on September 23. CEO Mark Zuckerberg is scheduled to deliver the keynote at 4 PM PT / 7 PM ET, followed by developer sessions and talks the next day starting at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET. The event is expected to cover new smart glasses, a mixed reality headset, and updates to the company's AI efforts.

One of the most anticipated products is a pair of camera-free smart glasses, reportedly offered in two styles, with extra microphones for chatting with Meta's AI assistant. The camera-free design could make the frames slimmer and more similar to regular glasses, and may help address privacy concerns around Meta's current glasses lineup. Ray-Ban has also hinted at new Meta-branded glasses, which could refer to the camera-free model, a next-generation Ray-Ban Meta product, or a version with displays in both lenses.

On the headset side, the long-rumored mixed reality device codenamed Phoenix is expected to debut at Connect. It is said to have a lightweight, goggle-like design, rely on a tethered connection to a separate puck, and support hand and eye tracking rather than a dedicated controller. The headset could be among the first devices to use Qualcomm's Snapdragon Reality Elite chip, which was announced earlier this year for slim mixed reality headsets.

This Connect will be the first since Meta's superintelligence group released a wave of new AI products. The company is expected to provide more details about its AI agent Muse, including support for glasses, and may showcase third-party app updates for its smart glasses ecosystem. Meta could also discuss its holographic avatar technology, previously shown with the Orion prototype.