Apple’s Vision Pro headset, unveiled at WWDC earlier this month, is just the first step in the company’s journey into the mixed reality market, and it’s clearly not perfect. It is understood that the Cupertino design team recommended the project be pushed back until available technology caught up with the type of product they wanted to make, but CEO Tim Cook overruled them and insisted on announcing something this year. Real artists ship, after all.
One of the Vision Pro’s obvious physical limitations at this stage in its evolution is its relatively heavy weight, which some early testers say is likely to make it uncomfortable when worn for long sessions. But Apple is aware of this problem and is working to fix it. Indeed, when my colleague Roman was able to spend an hour dealing with the device, it was fitted with an additional strap on top of the helmet, which seems to have at least partially alleviated the weight issue on this helmet certainly quite short. period.
“In my demo,” he wrote, “the helmet had a Velcro strap that goes across the top of your head – this strap is not shown in any Apple product photos or videos. I think after taking measurements out of my head, Apple determined that I would benefit from this top strap.
“After about an hour my demo was complete and I took the helmet off. I didn’t feel any fatigue in my neck or any tenderness where the helmet and straps were hugging my head. I felt like I could have continued longer with the session, and I would have if Apple had let me.
One can easily imagine that Apple’s design team, already irritated at having been pressured into announcing sooner than they wanted, would have been extremely keen to ensure that the extra strap was as comfortable as possible. spread of advertising media; it doesn’t sound very minimalistic. But for most customers, I suspect comfort will be at least as important as aesthetics, and it makes sense that Apple is exploring ways to address the headset’s weight issue.
Petter Ahrnstedt / Foundry
Less pleasant, however, it appeared that the company is currently considering selling this top strap as an option rather than bundling it in the box. So says leak analyst Mark Gurman in the latest issue of his Power On newsletter.
“With more people testing the headset, its flaws are coming under closer scrutiny,” Gurman writes. “Many users find that the metal-framed device feels too heavy after a few hours of continuous use. To address the weight issue, Apple developed a second strap that goes over the wearer’s head. But the company considering selling this strap as an extra accessory rather than including it in the box.
Sounds like the strap Roman used in his testing, doesn’t it? But it’s surprising that the company sees this as an upsell add-on rather than something worth including in the box as standard.
On the one hand, Roman suspects he was pressured into using the extra strap because of his less than small head (he reports a hat size between 7 ½ and 7 ¾). If true, that would make the accessory analogous to larger Apple Watch bands for those with larger wrists, which Apple does not charge extra.
On the other hand, when a product costs $3,499, you need a serious brass neck not to include the accessory that keeps it from being uncomfortable. But then again, the $6,999 Mac Pro doesn’t include wheels, so maybe we shouldn’t be surprised.
