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Reports on social media indicate that even seasoned tech enthusiasts are returning the Apple Vision Pro.
Apple currently operates a 14 day returns policy after new hardware such as an iMac computer, iPhone, or in this case, a Vision Pro headset is purchased. While there was initially much hype around the all-in-one AR headset in the United States, it seems as though prolonged use has revealed some its weaker aspects and that’s before stomaching the $3,500 MSRP.
As spotted by The Verge, social media is ablaze with tech fans and influencers speaking vocally about the Apple Vision Pro’s shortcomings. A tech influencer named Rjey wrote on Twitter: “Can’t wait to return the Vision Pro, probably the most mind blowing piece of tech I’ve ever tried”. He continues: “Can’t deal with these headaches after 10 minutes of use though”.
It appears that the Apple Vision Pro’s potential headaches are a major reason why some users who appear to enjoy the experience are handing the headset back. Other reasons include not having a particularly strong use case at this time. Alexander Torrenegra on Twitter posted: “Two hours after unboxing my Apple Vision Pro and using it, I decided to box it back up again and return it”.
Torrenegra explains: “It’s quite cool, but there’s nothing in it for me that I’ll use frequently enough to warrant keeping it”. This comes just a day after posting up a photo of him unboxing the high-end AR headset. In a thread he expanded: “My expectation to try it out was to be amazed, and I was. I was hoping the immersive work experience was going to be good enough to keep it, but no”.
It doesn’t appear as though the Apple Vision Pro offers the most seamless experience out of the box. Masen Dean, a graphic designer, posted a selfie with the headset stating: “I’m having pretty bad eye strain today (the squinting is my headache)”. However, they write: “I’m buying the lenses this week, it should help”.
The lenses they are referring to are the ZEISS Optical Inserts which are available for an additional $100 on top of the initial purchase. Dean writes: “Adjusting the strap took all day but I think I finally got it”. It seems like the Apple Vision Pro takes a fair amount of setup to find a degree of comfort. It weighs in at 650g according to the official tech specs, which is around 26% heavier than the Meta Quest 3.
Similar has been echoed by Aaron Zollo of Zollotech on Twitter. He states: “Apple Vision Pro is great for some things but there is not a single day that has gone by that I used it that it did not cause me eye strain and a headache”. A response in a thread revealed he doesn’t have this issue “with Meta Quest 3 at all”.
The throughline here is that the Apple Vision Pro may not have a solid use case for people and may cause eye strain and headaches through prolonged exposure. It’s currently unknown how many returns have happened or if Apple has issued at statement. At this time, it seems to be a minority of users experiencing these issues, but we’ll keep you posted as the story develops.
For more, we’re bringing you the Apple Vision Pro review roundup as well as showing you where to buy Apple Vision Pro. We’re also comparing this AR headset to other popular models in our dedicated features on the Apple Vision Pro vs Meta Quest Pro and Meta Quest 3 vs Apple Vision Pro, too. We’ll be bringing you more coverage on the Apple Vision Pro as soon as we get hands on.
Image Credit: Apple
