Report reveals why dissatisfied Apple customers are returning their $3,500 Vision Pro glasses – from eye strain to ‘too expensive’ and painfully uncomfortable
For customers who purchased the Apple Vision Pro on the day it launched, the fourteen-day period in which they could return it for a refund expired on Friday.
And a new report outlines the top five reasons why customers rushed to return the product before the deadline.
Apple doesn’t release return figures, but among customers who have returned their device, the consensus is that it’s not easy enough to use to earn the $3,500 price tag.
Many of the early reviews of the Vision Pro concluded that it was ambitious but of little use. One critic described it as ‘a high-tech solution in search of a problem.’
The Apple Vision Pro has a wide, adjustable strap to keep the device on your face, but customers still report it is uncomfortable to wear
Shortly after the augmented reality headset was launched, customers already returned the expensive device because the disadvantages outweighed the advantages.
Now Bloomberg has published a report based on interviews with unhappy customers, outlining the top five reasons why they thought it wasn’t worth it.
The outlet interviewed “more than a dozen” customers who returned their units, and the following themes emerged:
1. The Apple Vision Pro is uncomfortable
“The device is simply too heavy, cumbersome to handle, headache-inducing and uncomfortable,” Bloomberg said.
Weighing 600-650 grams (21.2-22.9 ounces), the Vision Pro is a very bulky beast.
Reviews have praised the wide, adjustable strap for being comfortable – once you take the time to adjust it.
Still, at over a pound, it’s a heavy device to keep attached to your face for extended periods of time.
The Vision Pro may deliver stunningly realistic images, but without a flagship app to make use of it, customers are left feeling disappointed
2. The features are not worth the price
“The current lack of applications and video content does not justify the price,” the outlet said reported.
In-store demonstrations for the Vision Pro have wowed customers, immersing them in a virtual environment that can feel so real you might fear you might encounter one of the digital humans you see in the headset.
The problem is that that demo experience doesn’t translate to everyday use.
Apple has yet to release an app that takes full advantage of the Vision Pro’s capabilities, but focuses on how it can insert more screens and displays into your environment.
“You’re kind of in this virtual environment and you’re wondering what you’re doing here,” one person told Bloomberg.
The appeal of being able to work as Tom Cruise on ‘Minority Report’ is appealing, but some customers say you can achieve the same results with a large monitor
3. It doesn’t improve your productivity
“The work features don’t make people more productive than just using a normal external monitor with a Mac — and they are difficult to use for extended periods of time,” Bloomberg said.
One of the big selling points Apple has emphasized with the Vision Pro is your ability to view spreadsheets, a web browser, email, or any other productivity app projected into the sky in front of you, like Minority Report.
But so far, customers feel shortchanged on this point.
“I work in Photoshop all day, so I don’t need a super-fast computer, but I do need a color-accurate screen,” one customer reported. ‘The whole experience felt very slow and not that sharp.’
Many of the dissatisfied Apple Vision Pro customers have cited eye strain as the reason for returning the device
4. The screen is small and hurts your eyes
“The displays have too much glare, the field of view is too narrow and the device causes eye strain and vision problems,” is the fourth top reason why customers return the Vision Pro.
One disgruntled user said the passthrough display feature made him feel like he was looking at the world through a 720-pixel camera.
Several customers reported that the device hurt their eyes so much that they couldn’t imagine using it for an entire workday.
“I don’t want to compromise for $3,500,” one person said about eye strain.
“It would be terribly difficult to watch a movie for three hours, you can’t work on it at all, and it’s limiting to be limited to one Mac screen at a time,” another reported.
Your loved ones may become jealous because they cannot see what you see. And even if you allow it, the strap takes a long time to adjust to someone else’s head, users reported
5. You can’t use it with other people
‘The product can make users feel isolated from family and friends. “Meaningful shared experiences do not yet exist, and the Vision Pro cannot be easily passed on to others due to the need for a precise fit,” the outlet found.
Part of the appeal of using the phone or computer (or gaming console, for that matter) is that everyone has one. We can use them together.
This does not apply to the Apple Vision Pro.
Multiple customers reported that part of the reason for the return was because it wasn’t something you could use with other people.
And even just using it with other people can leave you feeling cut off from them.
“I think it’s so important to be in the moment and the device doesn’t allow that,” said one customer.
Overall, the consensus seems to be that the Apple Vision Pro isn’t quite there yet.
One summed it up generously: “It’s clearly the future, but there aren’t enough things to do it right now.”