HTC shares soar for 2nd straight session after Vive Eagle AI glasses debut

Taipei, Aug. 18 (CNA) Shares in Taiwan-based smartphone brand HTC Corp. surged 10 percent, the maximum daily increase, on the main board Monday for the second consecutive session, with investors upbeat over the debut of the company's AI glasses -- the Vive Eagle -- last week as a driver to revenue growth, dealers said.

Shares in HTC rose 10 percent to NT$51.60 (US$1.72), extending from the previous 10 percent rise Friday after the company launched its first AI glasses, while the Taiex, the benchmark weighted index on the Taiwan Stock Exchange, rose 0.61 percent to 24,482.52.

Dealers said HTC is expected to benefit from the new gadget, improving its product portfolio and easing the impact of escalating competition in the global smartphone market.

HTC has been a market laggard and the positive lead encouraged many bargain hunters to pick up the stock, dealers added.

HTC introduced the Vive Eagle AI glasses on Thursday and kicked off presale orders on the same day, before the product becomes available in Taiwan on Sept. 1 at a price set at NT$15,600.

The AI glasses come in four colors: Berry, Coffee, Grey and Black.

According to HTC, which described the smart eyewear as 100 percent Taiwan-made and weighing less than 49 grams, the Vive Eagle AI glasses integrate music playback, voice assistance, smart photography, videography and photo-based translation into one single frame.

HTC said the glasses frame features a 12-megapixel ultra-wide camera, built-in AI computing and voice interaction, and a design with adjustable nose pads and ergonomically contoured temples for all-day comfort. Its ZEISS sun lenses provide UV protection without sacrificing optical clarity or visual comfort.

The Vive Eagle supports leading AI platforms such as OpenAI GPT and Google Gemini to allow users to perform tasks with voice commands, HTC said.

"VIVE Eagle represents HTC's newest exploration in the realm of intelligent living and personal wearables," HTC Senior Vice President Charles Huang (黃昭穎) said in a statement.

"By combining our pursuit of design excellence with expertise in immersive user experiences, this product is more than just a pair of glasses -- it's a way to live life with greater freedom."

HTC is planning to introduce the new AI glasses to the Southeast Asian, United States and European markets in the future, Huang said.

Taiwan Mobile serves as the sole distributor of the Vive Eagle in Taiwan, providing a monthly 5G subscription fee, starting from NT$1,399 to allow consumers to take the AI glasses home free.

Tony Lin (林東閔), Taiwan Mobile's chief consumer business officer, said the Vive Eagle is the first AI glasses product to support traditional Chinese and he is optimistic about the sales of the new gadget.

According to Counterpoint Research, shipments of AI glasses jumped 210 percent in 2024 and sales growth is expected to hit 60 percent in 2025, with the compound annual growth rate forecast to top 60 percent by 2029.