Smart glasses are expected to be the next hardware trend in the near future. Apple, Samsung, Google, Oppo and Meta all have their own plans with demos shown. According to a report by UploadVR, in 2026 Meta will launch an ultra-light headset with the launch of Quest 4 delayed to 2027.
This ultra-light headset is believed to be under development using the code name Puffin. It looks like a larger pair of smart glasses but only weighs around 100 grams. This is possible because the battery and all the processing hardware are placed in a separate container that is connected to the Puffin using a cable. Meta is trying to shrink the size of this container so that it can be stored in a pocket like the Vision Pro and Project Orion batteries.
The Horizon OS operating system will be used with Puffin being able to display applications simultaneously in multiple virtual windows. It will be marketed for productivity and entertainment purposes. The Puffin launch needs to be a success because Meta's multi-billion dollar investment in Reality Labs to popularize the metaverse has yet to bear fruit.
Mark Zuckerberg's focus has now shifted to artificial intelligence (AI) and the Project Orion glasses. This has been helped by the Ray-Ban Meta's impressive sales since launch compared to the Quest.