Apple Vision Pro is not meant for the average consumer

Apple Vision Pro: Apple’s first spatial computer
Apple Vision Pro: Apple’s first spatial computer

If the $3,499 starting price wasn’t enough to dissuade average consumers from running out to buy an Apple Vision Pro, reports from users of becoming uncomfortable after wearing the device for a relatively short amount of time, should be.

Boone Ashworth for Wired:

Apple isn’t one to skimp on the look and feel of its products, and the Vision Pro has a characteristically slick aesthetic. Unfortunately, the premium materials that make up the headset—primarily the aluminum chassis and glass optics—are much heavier than the plastic and other lightweight components found in competing mixed-reality headsets…

Jitesh Ubrani, a research manager at the tech analyst firm IDC, says the Vision Pro is bound to cause friction because it is a product intended as a developer kit, rather than something truly meant for the average consumer.

“I think Apple realizes there would be this sort of backlash, but it’s the kind of backlash they’d be willing to accept as collateral damage,” Ubrani says. “Really they’re trying to make inroads with the developers right now.”

The tethered battery pack, weight, and exorbitant $3,500 price tag are all indicators that this is not a product meant for the average consumer. It’s meant for people willing to pay for the privilege of using Apple’s device—and bear the sometimes uncomfy burden of wearing it—if it means getting to build applications for it.


MacDailyNews Take: Yup.

The most important product for Apple for 2024 will be the iPhone, as it will continue to be for many years to come. Vision Pro is the most important product for early adopters of spatial computing and for visionOS developers for 2024.MacDailyNews, December 26, 2023

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7 Comments

  1. Apple is still a hardware company and they make most of their money on up-front device sales. The benefit to the customer is that they aren’t being data-mined or locked into subscriptions. ~$4k is a modest price to pay for unlimited use of the most advanced consumer computer available today.

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    1. Modest price to pay, for what the privileged? And to do what exactly?

      Overpriced, heavy, with limited application and mostly fantasy and non reality oohhhs and aaahhs that grow old quickly.

      Has a long way to go to prove its worth it…

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  2. this beta version of AVP is obviously for developers and tech geeks with cash to burn. Vision OS is rather remarkable and will, hopefully, improve with time.

    My major complaint, and kinda its hard to excuse, is how bad the weight distribution is. How could such an obvious error get out the door ? It’s not the over all weight, but rather, how poorly the weight is distributed on the upper cheek bones and not across the head. Heck military soldiers and footballers wear handle much more weight for longer periods. It’s like Apple couldn’t have designed a more ineffective hand band system if they tried. Sure it looks cool but that only add insult to injury by the fact it just plan sucks, I can wear about 15 min before Im ready to loose the AVP pressure. It’s like they never tested this internally or something. hopefully 3rd party accessories can pick up the ball apple dropped.

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  3. I’m not going to buy this device yet. Not enough applicability for me. Sure would love to have one though to experience the start of this thing. Those who do not like the price or the weight or the name of the product or whatever their main complaint is should simply not purchase it, rather than publish screed monuments to themselves. The people who do shell out the bucks for it should be appreciated for doing so as their support of the device development will someday bring a version that you might love. A bit of perspective taking the long view might make you feel a bit better. The money I “wasted” on the original Apple laptop which was the size of my old briefcase and weighed about the same as my German Shepherd contributed to the MacBook Pro now in my lap. No product comes out of the shoot Day One perfect. Just my way of looking at this…

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