Apple Vision Pro.
David Phelan
Apple’s latest new product, the Apple Vision Pro, is just months away—Apple says it’s coming in early 2024. Now, a new report claims there might be something missing from the box when you buy it.
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According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman in his latest Power On newsletter , Apple could supply the Vision Pro without the top strap that holds it comfortably in place.
The way the Vision Pro fits on the wearer’s head is that there’s a highly comfortable strap that goes round the back of your noggin, with the front section that’s dominated by screens and cameras held deftly in place by your nose. The whole shebang is adjusted by a circular tightening device above the right ear, to ensure a comfy experience.
But you can add an extra strap on top, as experienced by journalists and others at Apple Park during WWDC. This strap is very similar to the Trail Loop band that’s available for the Apple Watch Ultra. It’s lightweight and held in place by a hook-and-loop fastening.
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Once you’ve placed the Vision Pro atop your bonce and tightened to suit, you can place the strap so that it takes some of the weight of the device and spread that weight across the top of your head.
Gurman says, “To address the weight issue, Apple has developed a second strap that goes over a wearer’s head. But the company is considering selling that strap as an extra accessory rather than including it in the box.”
I’m going to say right now that I’m skeptical of this report. Apple wants the Vision Pro to be worn at length, and while it sits comfortably in place, there’s no doubt that extra help is beneficial for extended wearing sessions.
Apple Vision Pro, without overhead strap.
David Phelan
I know that Apple is likely making only a very small profit, if any at all, on the Vision Pro. I know it’s far from cheap but it’s an incredibly advanced piece of kit and contains a highly powerful computer—and it costs half the price of a Mac Pro.
For what it’s worth, although it’s pricey, I suspect it’s very good value.
Even so, I’d say that the top strap is an extremely useful part of the whole. Although Apple is consistent in not including items that it doesn’t think are essential, as a way of keeping the price down for everyone, I’d be very surprised if it decided that this elegant piece of cloth should be something it charged extra for.
Gurman admits that the launch is a long way off, and that no decision has yet been made. He says, “Testing and availability of the hardware—along with user studies—have already expanded internally.”
I’m quietly confident that these studies will show that the strap is a Very Good Thing. Apple will want users to keep using this product, so I’m sure it will be included, or available as an extremely low-priced extra.