HTC’s AI smart glasses, VIVE Eagle, have officially expanded beyond the Asian market as they mark their first anniversary of availability in Taiwan. On September 3, HTC simultaneously announced the launch of a new round-frame model, released a major software update, and expanded sales to the United States, Europe, and Australia, positioning itself in the global AI wearable market ahead of the fourth-quarter consumer peak season.
HTC Senior Vice President Huang Chao-ying said that from software to hardware design, VIVE Eagle has made privacy and data security protection a key principle from the outset, and that communications with local channels and partners in Europe and the US over the past few months have received positive feedback. He believes that privacy and security will become one of the important factors consumers consider when choosing AI glasses in the future.
HTC VIVE Eagle Round-Frame Model Debuts: A Design Language That Fits into Everyday Style
The VIVE Eagle round-frame version continues the design philosophy of being lightweight and suitable for prolonged wear, pairing soft round frames with anti-slip nose pads. It launches in three color options: charcoal black, brown, and blue, with the blue variant expected to be available in mid-October. The classic square-frame version remains on sale. HTC internally regards both as products of the same generation, with the main differences lying in frame shape and wearing design.
ZEISS lenses are used for the optics, offering clear, sunglass, and photochromic lens options that can be matched to different scenarios, from indoor work and daily commuting to outdoor activities. For overseas consumers, HTC also designed a frame style without nose pads and adjusted the temple curvature to fit European and American head shapes. An Asian version with nose pads will also be supplied locally, and when paired with different lenses, it creates more than twenty combinations.
Event ambassador Lin Yu-Hsi shared her hands-on wearing experience, noting that when choosing eyewear she cares a lot about whether the frame shape suits her face, and that they also need to match well and make her want to wear them out. She praised the new round-frame design as stylish and face-flattering, saying that whether paired with tinted lenses or clear lenses, they naturally become part of her everyday look.
3K Recording, Slow Motion, and Live Streaming: The Next Evolution of First-Person Creation
This software upgrade increases video recording resolution from 2K to 3K, allowing you to capture clearer, more immersive first-person footage without even picking up your phone. A new slow-motion recording mode has been added, combining electronic image stabilization with AI image optimization to enhance shooting stability while in motion.
The new Live Streaming feature supports platforms such as YouTube and Twitch, allowing users to share events, travel, sports, and daily content directly from the glasses’ perspective, with support for up to approximately 1.2 hours of streaming. Lin Yu-Hsi also wore the VIVE Eagle from the event’s hair and makeup stage to personally document the behind-the-scenes process, capturing hair, makeup, styling preparation, and interactions with her work team from a first-person perspective. She also demonstrated the “mirror selfie” technique, looking at herself in the mirror while wearing the glasses to capture both the first-person view and her outfit of the day through the reflection.
AI real-time translation with dual modes, AI Notes supports 96 languages.
VIVE Eagle adds AI real-time translation, supporting “Listening Mode” and “Conversation Mode.” When listening to foreign-language content, it translates instantly and plays through the glasses; in face-to-face conversations, Conversation Mode facilitates two-way communication, lowering the barrier to cross-language interaction.
VIVE AI Notes has also been expanded to support 96 languages, integrating recording, transcripts, speaker identification, and AI summaries to help users complete meetings, learning, and daily notes more efficiently. The system interface has also added French, German, and Spanish, continuing to enhance the global user experience.
Nod to answer, shake your head to reject — natural interaction that feels more intuitive
In terms of operation, the VIVE Eagle adds nod-to-answer and shake-to-reject call features, allowing you to complete actions without taking out your phone or touching the glasses. This makes usage more intuitive and natural during commutes, shopping, or when your hands are busy. It also adds a scheduled shutdown function to further enhance the daily user experience.
Open AI architecture and privacy protection
VIVE Eagle adopts an open AI architecture, allowing users to choose between Google Gemini or OpenAI GPT based on their needs, without being restricted to a single AI ecosystem. Huang Zhao-Ying revealed that the R&D team has already tested multiple AI model providers, and as long as a model is mature, performs well, and brings additional value to users, there is a chance it will be adopted in the future.
Regarding privacy, user data will not be used for AI model training, and privacy is protected through mechanisms such as data encryption, recording indicators, and wear detection. Chao-Ying Huang noted that European and American markets have increasingly emphasized privacy and data security issues related to AI glasses in recent years, and this is precisely an aspect HTC has valued since the early development of the VIVE Eagle. Over the past few months, this has received positive feedback during communications with local channel partners in Europe and the United States.
Magnetic Charger Debuts, Boosting Battery Flexibility Even Further
The VIVE Eagle weighs under 49 grams and features a built-in 235mAh battery with support for fast charging, reaching 50% charge in about 10 minutes, and can be used while charging. HTC has also launched a magnetic charger designed specifically for the VIVE Eagle, weighing only about 8 grams with a 120mAh capacity, which can be attached directly to the frame for supplemental power, with a suggested retail price of NT$1,499. According to HTC, the magnetic interface also reserves space for future hardware expansion.
Subscription Plans and Device Purchase Offers
HTC simultaneously launches two subscription plans: VIVE AI Plus and VIVE AI Pro. VIVE AI Plus costs NT$99 per month or NT$990 per year, providing 100 AI credits per month; VIVE AI Pro costs NT$274 per month (NT$229 per month for the first year) or NT$2,300 per year, providing 400 AI credits per month, with more language support to meet needs such as cross-language communication, business, and content creation.
The round-frame model is priced at NT$15,600. Purchasing VIVE Eagle comes with a complimentary 24-month VIVE AI Plus service (valued at NT$2,400). New users will receive an additional 300 AI points (approximately 5 hours) per month for the first 3 months, then revert to the standard VIVE AI Plus plan of 100 points per month starting from the 4th month. Also included is a 2020EYEhaus lens upgrade voucher, which allows you to purchase HOYA ultra-thin blue light filtering lenses at a discounted price of NT$3,980.
Partnering with Taiwan’s Two Telecom Giants to Expand Channel Presence Across the Market
HTC is partnering with Chunghwa Telecom and Taiwan Mobile to continue expanding VIVE Eagle’s telecom channel presence in Taiwan. With the designated 5G rate plans from both carriers, VIVE Eagle is available starting from $0.
Chunghwa Telecom exclusively offers a promotion waiving the monthly fee for the first 6 months on KKBOX, Hami Bookstore, and the Google One 100GB plan, with an additional discounted upgrade to Google AI Plus (2TB). Taiwan Mobile, through its “OP Enjoy Life” integrated plan, offers the VIVE Eagle at a promotional price of NT$0 with designated 5G monthly plans starting at NT$1,399, and provides a variety of value-added services such as Anti-Fraud Sentinel, YouTube Premium, and GeForce NOW cloud gaming.
In terms of professional eyewear fitting services, HTC continues to partner with 2020EYEhaus premium eyewear stores under Chia-Yen Optical, offering in-person device trials, professional eye examinations, and fitting recommendations. Huang Chao-ying noted that while eyewear retail channels have fewer locations, their per-store sales performance is relatively higher; telecom channels, on the other hand, leverage their extensive store networks and contract renewal customer base to achieve larger overall sales volumes.
Officially entering Europe, the US, and Australia, targeting the Q4 consumer peak season.
VIVE Eagle has already established overseas markets in Hong Kong, Japan, and Singapore, and is now officially entering the U.S. (New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle), Europe (UK, France, Germany), and Australia. The first wave in Europe will focus mainly on Germany, the UK, and France, while markets without their own teams will be expanded through distributors. Initial efforts will center on e-retail and eyewear channels, with telecom operators joining later.
Huang Zhaoying is quite optimistic, pointing out that the European and American markets have always been several times the size of Taiwan’s and are also major mainstream markets for global consumer products. Launching in early September also ties in perfectly with the traditional fourth-quarter peak consumption season. He believes this will positively support revenue growth, but the actual growth rate will only become clearer around November or December.
Source: KOCPC Chinese