IT House News on June 8, Apple's latest head-mounted device Vision Pro for augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) has attracted widespread attention from the industry and consumers, and a major concern of consumers for such devices is whether the long-term wearing experience is comfortable.
Joanna Stern, a digital evaluator at the Wall Street Journal, experienced the device and shared her first impressions in the video. She praised the Vision Pro's functionality and appearance, but she also mentioned a concern that worried her: After 30 minutes with the Vision Pro, she left visible red marks on her forehead and nose.
"At the end of the presentation, the tip of my nose and forehead started to feel the weight," Stern said in the video. Then she said, "This is my picture after I took it off," and the picture switched to the picture below.
If you look closely, you can see that she has red marks on her forehead and nose. The video then zooms in, adjusts the contrast and brightness, and looks like this.
It seemed uncomfortable, and it wasn't the only drawback Stern mentioned, as she said she felt the weight of the device on her nose and forehead during the 30-minute demonstration, and felt slightly nauseous.
Around 1 minute and 40 seconds, she mentioned the red mark on her face
Apple told Stern that any discomfort she experienced while wearing the Vision Pro might be because they only had a limited-size "photoseal cover" on site. These are the parts of your headset covered with cloth that fit the device to your face. Stern said Apple told her it would have more options when the device officially goes on sale early next year.
Comfort when wearing VR or AR headsets for long periods of time has been a concern for device manufacturers for years, as they cram high-end technology and batteries into something that needs to fit snugly against your face and remain stable. This is why almost all headsets on the market use plastic as the main shell material of the device, because it will be lighter, can reduce the pressure on the user's forehead and nose, and the disadvantage is that it looks cheap.
Apple's Vision Pro uses aluminum alloy and a sleek curved glass to look more beautiful than the competition. But these materials also increase the total weight of the device, so Apple reduced the weight with a unique strap design and external battery for the device. According to some reviewers, the headset weighs around 1 pound (IT House Note: about 454 grams).
It also illustrates that even Apple has to make trade-offs between design and comfort. Either way, the experience above only reflects Stern's personal experience, and when the Vision Pro hits the market next year, we'll be able to better understand how comfortable the Vision Pro will be in the long run.