Future Vision Pro mixed-reality headsets should be smaller and lighter, and ship from the factory with prescription lenses preinstalled for people with eyesight issues.
The first Vision Pro supports optional prescription lenses from Zeiss that snap on magnetically to the device’s micro-OLED displays. But Apple allegedly wants to avoid tremendous logistical challenges associated with having to stock thousands of different lens combinations at each retail store it operates.
The company will reportedly solve this problem by shipping future Vision Pro headsets from the factory with preinstalled prescription lenses instead of requiring customers with vision issues to manually install them.
Future Vision Pro may sport built-in prescriptions
On the downside, a headset with built-in prescription lenses would be complicated to share with other people who aren’t visually impaired. It would complicate usage if a user’s vision prescription changes over time. And selling prescription lenses could complicate business for Apple as it would become a health provider of sorts.
Some reviewers said the Vision Pro starts to feel heavy on the head after an hour or so of use, and Apple could offer an over-the-head strap to lighten neck strain.
For the next iteration, according to Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman, the Cupertino company wants to make a lighter device. Apple hasn’t said how much the Vision Pro weighs, but Gurman says it’s “about a pound” heavy.
The Cupertino tech giant is thought to be working on two different second-generation headsets: one featuring lower-end components and a lower asking price, while the other would be a more powerful version using more premium materials.
Gurman notes the Vision Pro’s weight concerns could prompt Apple to renew efforts to develop augmented reality glasses that could be light enough to wear all day.
Patent applications reveal Apple was serious about developing augmented reality glasses at some point. However, the project was postponed because the required technology to build compelling digital glasses wasn’t and still isn’t there yet.