When it comes to new technology, some pain points are to be expected as companies work out the kinks. But the Apple Vision Pro headphones take that too literally, early adopters are discovering.
Apple unveiled its very expensive AR/VR headset to much fanfare earlier this year. Despite its incredible $3,500 price tag, the wearable impressed critics with its exceptional spatial computing capabilities, excellent hand and eye tracking, intuitive visionOS interface, and immersive entertainment experiences. However, over time, the seams begin to show.
Between the heavy earbuds themselves (weighing around 650 grams, or about as much as a 12.9-inch iPad Pro), their front-facing design, and a less than stellar fit for many, the Vision Pro is giving some users literal black eyes, according to a new market clock report.
“I wasn’t able to wear it much for the first few weeks because it didn’t fit me,” Emily Olman, Hopscotch Interactive’s media director, told the outlet. She added that she developed “very dark black eyes” after using the Apple Vision Pro, which, she said, “clearly [placed] too much weight on my cheeks.”
Other early adopters echoed their complaints about the headphones’ uncomfortable fit. Ian Beacraft, CEO of consultancy Signal and Cipter, told MarketWatch that he felt pain at the base of his skull and upper back after using Vision Pro for just two hours. Users have reported getting headaches and, in one case, even a burst blood vessel in an eye It is believed to result from the use of headphones.
In his hands-on testing, Mark Spoonauer of Jugo Mobile Global EIC described the Vision Pro as too heavy to use for more than an hour or two. “In fact, after a while my neck hurts when using Vision Pro and I feel some pressure around my eyes,” he wrote in his one-month Vision Pro retrospective.
That said, some early adopters have had better luck than others when it comes to fitting the Vision Pro.
“I could wear the 1.3-pound Vision Pro for four or five hours before my neck needed a break, but I had to adjust it frequently,” he wrote Chris Velazco, Washington Posttech reporterafter using the headphones regularly for two weeks.
For reference, Apple recommends taking regular breaks while using the Vision Pro and removing the headphones every 20 to 30 minutes. The company also warns users to stop using the device if they start to feel unwell at any point, urging: “If symptoms persist, consult your medical provider.” Although some early adopters have already made it clear that they are not giving much importance to Apple’s advice, as we saw in February when several went viral, among other ill-advised use cases, for driving a Tesla with the Apple Vision Pro.
Hopefully, Apple can fix some of the weaknesses in its headphones by the time the Vision Pro 2 arrives, which isn’t expected until 2025 or 2026. Meanwhile, Apple is rumored to have a cheaper entry-level Vision Pro in the jobs.
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