There have been reports of Apple’s new Vision Pro AR headset cracking and having reliability and durability problems already following its release in February 2024. This has to be embarrassing for the tech giant, but what could be causing these defects and what should customers do?
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Introduction, what is the Vision Pro?
Apple’s Vision Pro headset is an incredibly well-received augmented reality headset that earned rave reviews worldwide. It took more than 10 years to develop and is one of the most groundbreaking Apple products released in recent years. It overlays apps, functions, photos, movies, information, and more, into whatever you see. Very futuristic!
Uh-oh, cracks to the headset!
The external plastic layer, like a visor, is cracking in a straight line from the nose to the forehead on some models even though the customer didn’t do anything like drop them. We don’t know the percentage, so it’s hard to ascertain what pattern there is, but these unsightly defects are not welcome in a device that costs over $3000+. (02:29)
How would an engineer start diagnosing this case?
Environmental or transportation conditions may cause a defect like this or it could even be the packaging placing some kind of stress on the wrong part of the visor that eventually results in the crack developing. It is fair to say that the plastic seems fragile.
Apple should accept field returns from customers and do a root cause analysis to identify the defect and its cause and then implement a corrective action plan. (04:04)
Is the return or repair policy straightforward? What should Apple customers do if they’re affected?
Apple may need to clarify its returns or repair policy, as some customers have reported receiving different responses from Apple with some stores offering to repair or replace, and some refusing to take responsibility. With visor repairs costing $800, it seems sensible to at least invest in an AppleCare extended warranty for the device to reduce potential repair costs. (06:40)
Did Apple’s engineers miss this issue during product testing and development?
It’s hard to say, but was the visor that cracks added after most development and testing was done maybe for some reason? If so it may not have been tested (as much). If Apple doesn’t fix this, and fast, it could damage their brand as this is such a high-profile release. The situation is similar to the problems they had with the Macbook ‘Butterfly’ keyboards in 2015/2016 which they replaced by returning to a scissor mechanism they then named the ‘Magic’ keyboard, although in those cases Apple replaced the defective keyboard (and sometimes added a new battery) for free. (08:48)
Should we be surprised that the Vision Pro seems similarly fragile to cellphones?
The Vision Pro does not seem very durable, the same as the iPhone. The majority of users put their iPhones in a protective case for exactly this reason.
An acceptable drop height for a mobile phone to withstand damage is about 1M, not 6ft. However the Vision Pro is meant to be worn on the face and is very front-heavy, so if it slips, it will likely fall from around 6ft. There is no protective case for the Vision Pro when it is in use unlike for phones, therefore, should it be durable enough to survive such a drop, especially for its price? Food for thought for Apple. (11:29)