Apple fans, look away now as this YouTuber puts the Vision Pro through an excruciating toughness test.
And if you were thinking about spending €3,500 (£2,786) for the headset, his findings might make you reconsider.
YouTuber JerryRigEverything, whose real name is Zack Nelson, has tested Apple’s latest creation to the point of destruction in a “scratch test.”
The painful images reveal that the external screen is not glass, but actually an easily scratched laminated glass.
Mr Nelson warns: ‘Any key, coin or metal object that comes into contact with the Apple Vision Pro will leave a permanent, irreparable impression.’
YouTuber JerryRigEverything put the Apple Vision Pro through a destructive scratch test, which revealed that the outer cover is a plastic coating that scratches easily
The Apple Vision Pro, Apple’s first virtual reality headset, launched in US stores last Friday.
Reviews have praised the headset’s technology and immersive experience, but with an eye-watering price tag of $3,500 (£2,786) many are questioning whether it’s worth the price.
In his own review video, Mr. Nelson says the Vision Pro’s impressive technology isn’t matched by its build quality.
Apple’s website states that the front of the headset is made of “a single piece of three-dimensionally shaped laminated glass.”
However, this shocking video shows that the headset is not as durable as it seems.
The footage shows Mr Nelson subjecting the windscreen to a scratch test commonly used to test the hardness of minerals.
The video warns that any metal object such as keys or coins that comes into contact with the Apple Vision Pro can easily leave a deep and irreparable scratch
The headset uses laminated layers of plastic and glass. Placing the plastic on the outside makes the headset more resistant to tearing if dropped, but makes it more likely to scratch
Mr. Nelson takes picks made of different materials and scrapes them across the screen to see how hard it is to scratch.
On the Mohs hardness scale, a measure of how scratch-resistant something is, glass is usually scratched between 5.5 and 6.
But in testing, the Vision Pro starts scratching at a 3 and is deeply marked at level 4.
This makes the outer screen about as hard as a copper penny, meaning it’s much more likely to be plastic than glass.
In the video, Mr. Nelson says he was so shocked by the results of the test that he had to repeat the experiment and even thought he might have left a screen protector on the product.
“But there is no screen protector, this scratch plastic is permanently attached to the device,” he says.
To emphasize his point, Mr. Nelson then takes a Stanley knife and begins painfully gouging the outer surface, leaving deep indentations in the surface.
However, Mr Nelson points out that the plastic laminate on the outside makes the headset more resistant to drops.
He says: ‘The glass is much less likely to break because the laminate is on the outside, plastic absorbs most of the shock without breaking the glass.
“But plastic on the outside means it scratches more easily, and if those scratches show up on one of the many cameras or sensors on the outside, it will really mess up your worldview.”
Reviewers have praised the Vision Pro for its immersive experience, and people who have tried the headsets at Apple Stores (pictured) have been amazed by the design. But at $3,500, the fact that the headset is easily damaged is an expensive issue
More worryingly, the review also found that the inner lenses (pictured) are so soft that cleaning them with a paper towel or napkin risks permanently scratching them and ruining the screen.
Apple does offer repair services for the Apple Vision Pro, but replacing the front screen costs $799.
The price drops to $299 if you pay $500 for AppleCare+.
But as Mr. Nelson points out, this brings the total price to $799, which is exactly the same as without AppleCare.
More worryingly, the Apple Vision Pro’s inner lenses, through which the user sees the built-in screen, also appear to be made of plastic.
The video shows Mr. Nelson easily cutting deep gouges into the lenses, permanently damaging the screen.
These lenses are so fragile that Mr. Nelson warns that users should be very careful when cleaning the headset.
He says: ‘I cannot stress enough the importance of not cleaning or wiping the plastic lenses inside the Apple Vision Pro with paper towels, tissues or napkins as all of these paper products contain wood fibers that can damage the completely and permanently destroy plastic. lenses.’
The reviewer says the headband was extremely soft and comfortable, but found it to be quite flammable and recommended not wearing the headset near an open flame
The Vision Pro comes with two different types of headbands: a stretchy wool Solo Knit Band headband and the adjustable Dual Loop Band for a more precise fit.
Mr. Nelson says he was extremely impressed with the comfort of the Solo Knit strap that came with the headset, saying it “feels like it’s been knitted with the love of a thousand grandmas.”
However, his video reveals a shocking potential problem with this headband.
Not done with its destructive tests yet. Mr. Nelson holds a lighter flame to the Vision Pro’s headband, which catches fire quickly and burns with a strong flame.
Mr. Nelson says, “I strongly advise against smoking anything or standing near a campfire while wearing the Apple Vision Pro.”
MailOnline has contacted Apple for comment.