Leadership has called for extending timelines to improve quality, aligning with guidance from CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Reality Labs leadership to prioritize sustainability and higher-quality experiences.

The company emphasizes quality over speed, with internal notes stating the breathing room will help finalize details and avoid feature bloat as part of a sustainable long-term plan.

Top executives are stressing careful, quality-driven development of the metaverse, signaling a measured stance on launches and feature sets amid internal changes.

Aul and Cairns have indicated the later release will give the team breathing room to finalize details.

Meta did not respond immediately to Reuters' requests for comment regarding the Phoenix delay.

Internal memos highlight a cautious approach: do not add features just to extend timelines, and instead focus on delivering a higher-quality, longer-lasting business.

The Phoenix device is described as goggle-like and light, powered by a puck, with some notes that its design resembles Apple's Vision Pro while aiming to keep weight and heat in check.

The Phoenix reportedly includes safety glasses and uses a power puck to operate, with descriptions noting the puck helps reduce weight and cooling needs.

Phoenix sits within Meta’s Reality Labs, alongside Quest headsets and Ray-Ban smart glasses, as the company continues work on augmented reality devices.

Meta is delaying the Phoenix mixed-reality glasses to the first half of 2027 from the originally planned second half of 2026 to prioritize a fully polished, reliable product rather than rushing to market.

In October, Meta reshaped its leadership for the metaverse, naming Gabriel Aul and Ryan Cairns to co-lead Reality Labs, while signaling possible budget cuts of up to about 30% that could affect Horizon Worlds teams.

Meta expanded its AI hardware push by acquiring Limitless, a startup that builds AI-powered pendant devices.