What is HTC’s new VIVEE desk companion — and should you pre-order one for $99?

HTC’s VIVEE, announced October 22, 2026, is an interactive desk companion for reminders, activities, guided meditation, music and casual AI conversation. Pre-orders are $99 through November 30, 2026 (regular $119, shipping early December), and it works without linking your personal accounts, with a physical mic off switch.

You want a little helper on your desk for reminders and music, but you do not want another device listening to everything in your house. Short answer: VIVEE is HTC’s new interactive digital companion, announced October 22, 2026. It handles reminders, interactive activities, and guided meditation, plays music through a built-in speaker, and holds casual AI-powered conversations, with an animated, expressive display and touch and motion sensors.

Pre-orders opened October 22 at a promotional $99 through November 30, 2026; the regular price is $119, and orders are expected to ship in early December 2026. Why it matters: Unlike many AI gadgets, VIVEE’s core features do not require you to connect your email, social media, banking, or other personal accounts. It has a physical microphone on/off switch — a real switch, not a setting buried in an app.

HTC says information is de-identified before it is shared with third-party AI providers, and interactions are not used to train general-purpose large language models.Before you pre-order any AI companion, run through this checklist:1. The mic switch. Is there a physical mic off switch, not just a software toggle?2.

Account links. Does it work without linking your email, bank, or social accounts?3. Training use.

Does the maker say your chats will or will not train their AI models?4. The real price and ship date. What is the full price after the promo ends, and when does it actually ship?5.

The return window. Can you return it if it just sits on the desk after a week?Pro tip: Do not pre-order on day one for the $20 promo saving alone — wait for early hands-on reviews in December and keep the receipt window in mind.Ad’s take: I like the physical mic switch more than any cute face on the screen. If a gadget wants to live on my desk, it has to prove it can be quiet when I tell it to be quiet.