HTC Made Smart Glasses That Are Way More Private

HTC’s $499 Vive Eagle smart glasses combine cameras, open-ear speakers, voice recording and an AI assistant, while the company presents them as a more privacy-conscious alternative to Meta’s glasses. The distinction matters because camera-equipped glasses have raised concerns about covert recording, face recognition and how companies handle personal information.

The Eagles have a bright recording light that cannot be covered while filming, and recording stops if someone nearby asks. Footage is encrypted and stored on the glasses until users manually import it; HTC says it does not use glasses data to train AI models. The assistant works without a login, and AI Plus is free for two years before a $2.50 monthly charge; battery life is up to 4.5 hours of continuous music playback or 36 hours on standby. Despite these measures, their resemblance to Meta’s glasses can leave bystanders unsure which brand they are seeing.