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Samsung’s highly anticipated smart glasses are expected to hit the market in 2026, according to recent reports. However, a Taiwanese company has already made a move, launching its own smart glasses ahead of Samsung’s anticipated release.
That company is HTC. Known for years for creating sleek smartphones like the HTC One, One M8, and One M9, HTC shifted gears several years ago to focus on its Vive virtual reality headsets. Now, the company is making waves again with a new line of AI-powered smart glasses.
With major brands like Meta and Snapchat popularizing the smart glasses trend through products such as Ray-Ban Meta and Snapchat Spectacles, competition in this space is intensifying.
Samsung Isn’t the Only Player in the Game
According to a report from South Korean publication SE Daily, Samsung plans to introduce its first pair of smart glasses in late 2026. This suggests we’re still about a year away from seeing Samsung’s eyewear go on sale.
The upcoming Samsung glasses are said to resemble the design of Ray-Ban Meta models, incorporating features like built-in speakers, a microphone, and a camera.
It’s worth noting that these glasses are separate from the augmented reality (AR) glasses Samsung is reportedly developing with Google, which are expected to include a display.
Meanwhile, Google showcased its own Android-based XR glasses at the I/O 2025 conference, with the first model—developed in partnership with Warby Parker—potentially arriving as early as next year. Additionally, a new lineup of smart glasses from an established brand may arrive in 2025.
Introducing HTC Vive Eagle
HTC’s latest offering is called the Vive Eagle, branded as ‘AI smart glasses.’ These lightweight wearable devices feature a 12-megapixel ultra-wide camera with an LED indicator, a 235mAh battery, and magnetic fast-charging that keeps the glasses ready for use. Weighing just 49 grams, they also include speakers, but their open-ear design ensures you stay aware of your surroundings without anything covering your ears.
The glasses come equipped with HTC’s Vive AI voice assistant, supporting major language models such as ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini. This allows users to control camera functions, music, and other features through spoken commands, as well as ask more complex questions.
Further enhancing their appeal is the ability for real-time translation into 13 languages, including Arabic, Chinese (Traditional), English, French, German, Greek, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish, Korean, Thai, and Turkish.
HTC claims the Vive Eagle glasses can deliver about 4.5 hours of continuous music playback on a single charge and standby mode can last up to 36 hours.
Availability and Pricing
Currently, the HTC Vive Eagle is available exclusively in Taiwan, with pre-orders now open. The release date is scheduled for September 1. The glasses are offered in four colors—Berry, Coffee, Grey, and Black—and retail for NT$15,600, roughly equivalent to $500.
There has been no official announcement regarding international availability, but as the market heats up, more regions may soon see these innovative glasses. It’s worth noting that just a couple of months ago, Oakley entered the smart glasses scene, indicating a growing interest in this technology.
As the competition accelerates, major brands continue to develop cutting-edge wearable technology that could redefine how we interact with digital content on the go.
ChatGPT
Perplexity
Gemini AI
Grok AI
