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- Customers say they're returning their Apple Vision Pro headsets just weeks after its release.
- They say the headset's design, blurry screen, and lack of use cases don't justify its $3,500 price.
- One buyer even said he purchased the gadget with the intention of returning it soon after.
When the Apple Vision Pro hit the market on February 2nd, would-be fans lined up at the break of dawn to test the mixed-reality headset at their local Apple Stores. Many who demoed the device said the device's spatial computing capabilities blew them away.
But nearly two weeks after its release, first impressions of the futuristic gadget appear to have soured for some buyers, who say they're returning the $3,500 device.
One major reason Vision Pro customers say they want a refund: its seemingly clunky design. Farzad Mesbahi, who regularly creates YouTube videos about tech, says that wearing a device on his head and face can be inconvenient even if he can get it to sit comfortably. He can't see himself using the headset for long periods as people do with smartphones, tablets, and computers.
"For a technology/productivity device, this is a non-starter for me," Mesbahi wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Collin Michael, a self-proclaimed Apple nerd, would agree with him. In a YouTube video he uploaded on why he's returning his Vision Pro, he says the device's weight is "noticeable" enough to be a burden. Using the headset to do things he would normally do on an iPhone or Mac — like pulling up Safari or searching for used cars, he says — requires extra steps that just aren't worth the effort.
Some Redditors who claim to be returning the Vision Pro also referenced how uncomfortable it is to wear the headset.
Disappointment in the headset's vision quality is another gripe expressed by Vision Pro customers.
Mesbahi wrote on X that the device's ability to overlay virtual apps on top of a user's line of vision is "not good" when it comes to clearly observing his surroundings. When looking at real objects, Mesbahi says his line of vision is "still quite grainy in most lighting conditions."
For instance, when he looks at his computer or iPhone, he says the image quality "isn't nearly sharp enough to make out what's on the screen." The same goes for reading a paper with small font.
Michael noted how he needs to turn his head to look at different elements on the screen because there are "giant black edges" along its perimeter that blur and distort "10 to 20 percent" of his line of vision. Similarly, when he casts his MacBook onto his headset, he says the icons on the bottom of the laptop screen are difficult to decipher.
Some customers merely believe that the Vision Pro doesn't offer enough unique experiences to justify its hefty price — even though Apple has built more than 600 new apps for it.
"There just aren't enough diverse experiences today and diverse content to warrant using this for like two hours a week, which is what I feel like you need to justify a purchase at this price," Kane Sutter, a YouTuber, said in his video explaining why he's returning the headset.
And some admit they purchased the headset with the intention of returning it, just to play with its capabilities.
"Apple is crazy if they think I'd pay $4,000 for it," Matt Schneider, a Vision Pro customer who enjoyed using it to scroll through Instagram and watch YouTube, told Business Insider.
Apple didn't immediately respond to BI when asked to address the criticisms. The tech giant also didn't specify how many returns were made.
But despite their critiques and plans to return the headset, Mesbahi, Michael, and Sutter expressed enthusiasm for Apple's forward-looking vision and the headset's cutting-edge capabilities. They say they're open to potentially revisiting the goggles again in the future once the technology advances.
That is, if the Vision Pro ever gets cheaper.
"For me to justify keeping it, I'd need the price to lower to at least $2,000," Michael told BI.