The HTC VIVE Flow is a VR headset made to take the virtual reality headset universe in a whole new direction. This device is meant to be carried around with the user during the day, and worn by the user anywhere they like - so long as they're sitting still or standing in an area free from danger.
Although Oculus has now almost become the biggest name in consumer VR products, it isn't the only one occupying to top tiers of that still niche market. There was a time when HTC's Vive went toe to toe with Oculus, but it seems to have faded into the background in the past year or so. Just like with its smartphones, HTC isn't calling it quits and might finally be ready to take the combined might of Oculus and Facebook this week with a new standalone VR headset as well as a new "metaverse" platform.
HTC is one of the last remaining pioneers of the mobile phone market still making phones, but it doesn't mean it's doing well like Motorola or Sony (of Sony Ericsson). It hasn't launched any notable smartphone of late, and the phones that it did put out are mostly on the budget side, limited to a very small number of markets. HTC's smartphone business is still alive, though, as this sighting of a new phone proves. But if the HTC Wildfire E Ultra is any indication, it might not be that way for long.
It's been months since we first got details on the HTC Vive Pro 2 VR headset back in May. VR fans waiting in anticipation for the Vive Pro 2 kit to be available can now preorder the entire kit in North America. While the headset launched earlier this year, the full kit includes the headset, two base stations, and two VIVE controllers.
There's a new HTC tablet out there in the universe today, one called HTC A100. One would hope that by the time the machine makes its way to market, it'll have a more sensible and/or unique sort of name, but for now, we've got the code. If this tablet is released to the public, it'll be the first tablet manufactured by HTC to be released to consumers since the hear 2014, when HTC made the Nexus 9 with Google.
You can probably be forgiven if you've forgotten that HTC still makes Android-powered devices. We definitely haven't heard from the company for a long while, at least as far as smartphones are concerned. HTC has mostly been focusing on making sure its Vive VR ecosystem doesn't suffer the same fate as its mobile business, which can be difficult given the Oculus grip on the VR market. It turns out the company may have been silently working on a tablet, which is already rare for HTC, with an unusual feature for a tablet, especially a mid-range one.
This week an eBay seller in China revealed what they're calling a Google Pixel Muskie Prototype (Original, Unreleased). This device appears to be the fabled mirror device that matched the HTC U11 Plus, a device that ended up being released by HTC proper. If you look at the Google Pixel 2 XL that actually did see release, it becomes clear that this device was, and remains, a real-deal original.
Apple appears to have pinpointed one of the most influential Android hardware designers of the last decade in Scott Croyle. This guy was the head of HTC's design team when they created the HTC One M7 - he was also a founder of the company Nextbit, creators of the Nextbit Robin. A report this week details the timing and details surrounding the designer's joining Apple.
HTC just revealed the HTC VIVE Pro 2, complete with options for upgrades. This new headset will be sold in at least two packages - one with the whole "full-kit" experience, the other with the headset alone. This should allow those users who already own a VIVE Pro (the first one) to avoid paying maximum cash for the parts they already own - and likely still already have installed at home.
HTC has revealed its newest self-contained VR headset, with the VIVE Focus 3 promising a huge uptick in speed and graphics quality but still without a tether to your PC. It's not just the absence of a cable which should make the VIVE Focus 3 more comfortable to wear, either, with a 20-percent cut in weight thanks to a shift to a magnesium alloy frame.
HTC will announce a pair of enterprise-focused VR headsets at an event next week called Vivecon, according to a report. Ahead of the event, HTC has been doing some teasing of the coming hardware but has offered little in the way of detail. The report says the company will be launching a virtual reality headset called the Vive Focus 3 Business Edition, which is a standalone VR device.
HTC VIVE has announced that it is teaming up with iFixit to make replacement components for its VR headsets available to consumers. Many may be familiar with iFixit. It's a place that buys new gadgets and then rips them apart to make guides on repairing devices should they need repairs in the future. HTC VIVE has announced that iFixit will offer official VR system parts and accessories to allow customers to extend the life of their devices once the warranty expires.