The "will they, won't they?" wax and wane of HTC's wearable interests has rolled on for so long, it's difficult to judge exactly what the VR-leading / smartphone-failing company is planning for the future.
Its HTC Grip device (the green thing pictured up top) was shelved before being repurposed for the Under Armor-branded Band, and rumors still circulate regarding a "Halfbeak" smartwatch.
Now a fresh FCC filing points to the company again dabbling in the fitness space. But with VR Vive branding attached to it, what's going on here?
Spotted by TheLeaker.com (a relatively unknown source, it's worth noting), a HTC Vive-branded device with the model number 2PYV100 is detailed, with a blueprint for a circular shape, heart rate monitoring elements and wireless connectivity thanks to RF antennas.
Virtual vitality
The interesting point amongst all this is the Vive branding. Why would HTC blur the lines between its VR and fitness wearable ambitions?
The cynic would suggest that, having struggled in the smartphone space with its Desire and One lines in recent years, Vive is the only HTC product that currently has widespread recognition, and near-universal positive press surrounding it. It may be that the company is merely trying to piggy-back off that good faith.
More exciting, however, would be the potential for the tracker to work in tandem with virtual reality experiences through the Vive.
The Vive was developed in conjunction with Steam kings Valve, which has long dabbled with bio-metric input potential. Imagine a fitness program that could have you virtually trek Kilimanjaro in your bedroom through the headset, or even a VR horror game that would adapt to your heart rate.
If HTC is exploring these avenues, alongside standard fitness tracking features, it'd be a very unique wearable indeed.
