Apple Vision Pro
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The weight of the Apple Vision Pro is an issue that Apple is still working on, the report says. future models will be much lighter.
Apple's engineering team is hard at work preparing Apple Vision Pro for release. While the focus is on future models rather than off-the-shelf first-generation hardware, Apple remains concerned about the weight of its initial version and how consumers will perceive it.
In an article for Bloomberg's “Power On” newsletter, Mark Gurman says the current model weighs “about a pound.” Testing apparently showed that this weight was considered “too heavy for some users – even for short stretches” and also caused neck strain.
The weight problem was also observed by AppleInsider when testing the device: after an hour and a half of use, “mild neck fatigue” was guaranteed.
For the current model, Apple is considering a fix related to the headband that was mentioned in previous reports. While Apple can't do anything about the weight of the current model other than try to support it more, weight is a factor that is taken into account when designing later models.
In addition to weight, Apple may also change the design to make it more comfortable for people who wear glasses. The first generation model was smaller and did not work with glasses, but instead used magnetic lenses that must be installed before use.
A system like this, with thousands of interchangeable lens combinations, could become a logistical nightmare for future models, as well as complicate it for consumers.
Apple may decide to sell future headsets with prescription lenses pre-installed to make them easier to use, but this will make the headset less useful for sharing with others or if the user's vision prescription changes. There are also concerns that providing built-in prescription lenses will turn Apple into some kind of healthcare provider, which will create various associated problems.
Gurman suggests that Apple's now stalled plan for AR glasses could be a step forward, as it would be lightweight hardware that doesn't rely on pass-through VR cameras and screens. In theory, you can wear them all day.
This will require Apple to step up development of the augmented reality glasses project, which it may eventually do if the Vision Pro proves popular enough.
