What to Expect at Meta Connect 2026: ‘Phoenix’ Headset, AI, and Smart Glasses

Meta’s annual Connect conference kicks off on September 23 at 4 PM PT / 7 PM ET from its Menlo Park headquarters, and the agenda has officially outgrown its virtual reality roots. CEO Mark Zuckerberg is set to headline an evening keynote that bridges the company’s aggressive artificial intelligence rollout, its evolving metaverse vision, and an expanding physical hardware ecosystem. Here is the strategic breakdown of what to expect from Meta’s biggest hardware and software showcase of the year.