Apple Vision Pro Owners: Keep or Return. And why?

[Surfer13134]

My first day, I had to manually connect to my M3 MBP, but ever since then, the look at and connect has worked flawlessly for me. Have used this feature for an hour or two a day this week.

Sadly mine has not improved, I even switched back to my old Eero wifi router thinking maybe it could be a bug with the new Wifi 7 units I just installed but still happening. Someone on Reddit said that a few people believe it's a transcoding bug that specifically affects the M3 Macs. Do you have a M3 Mac?

 

[klasma]

A friend of mine went back to the Apple Store to ask if the glare was a hardware issue. They said it wasn't.

It’s a hardware issue in the sense that it’s caused by the hardware. It’s not an issue only in the sense that it’s “by design” and cannot be fixed. So it’s the hardware, and it is an issue, just not a fixable one.

 

[Surfer13134]

It’s a bit disappointing to hear about the poor hand tracking in low light. It seems like a common usage scenario, such as your bunking situation, or not wanting to bother a sleeping spouse in bed, or a dark airplane cabin, etc. It’s also strange to hear because I thought the VP had all the sensors like True Depth and LIDAR which I thought were supposed to help it work in the dark like Face ID does. Maybe it doesn’t have the IR sensors. If not, I hope the next one will. As a workaround for now, maybe one can use a trackpad in some situations.

For issues selecting small items, hopefully tracking gets more accurate and/or software just gets more optimized. Maybe at some point websites will know you’re using VP and make bigger targets. As a workaround are you able to pinch to zoom into the area to make the gear button bigger?

Strange your MacBook didn’t automatically show you a button to connect and show your virtual display, and that the display came out blurry and laggy. Other reports I’ve seen seem to say it worked very well. It might be misbehaving in your case.

I would expect third parties to make battery cases for the battery, which would take care of wire clutter but of course make the battery bigger and heavier.

Just offering thoughts, not to dissuade either way. $4000 is a ton of money so one should be sure it will give enough value.

I appechiate your imput! So To report back on a few things from some others on Reddit is it seems like their could be a bug with the M3 Mac and AVP some sort of transcoding bug as others with the M3 were also having the same issues I was having so I'm sure Apple will have that worked out soon.

For the hand tracking in low light, Im not sure why it cant track in the low light as it does have the dot flood illuminators like Face ID but I'm guessing whenever the camera gets covered or it becomes really dark they always have problems and the thing with AVP is its instant, just cover the camera and your screen will go black with the error message and there is nothing you can do until it can regain its vision again so even using a trackpad wont be able to help unless Apple reworks this.

Many of my complaints I know can be fixed in software but the question is "When". Every time I keep convincing myself it is time to return it, I put it on and get lost in the headset again and fall in love but I do feel the "HoneyMoon" phase is wherein off day by day as I'm finishing the 3D movies and getting bored of the few games that are on the App store etc.

I am still only on Day 5 of owning it but I'm more along the lines of 95%+ sure ill be returning it and just waiting to see what apps come out for it and if Apple can start to kill these bugs fast.

 

[Tdevilsg]

For those of us that purchased the device on launch day, we already or are closely approaching the halfway point of the return window.

Are you keeping or returning your device? Why or why not?

 

[turbineseaplane]

This type of poll could use a "proof of actual purchase" verification

😂

 

[Timo_Existencia]

Not even close to a question. Keeping. This device has already transformed the way I work, and I'm confident it will continue to do so.

 

[Tdevilsg]

Not even close to a question. Keeping. This device has already transformed the way I work, and I'm confident it will continue to do so.

Would love to hear more detail on this if you don't mind sharing.

 

[Night Spring]

Would love to hear more detail on this if you don't mind sharing.

Peak Productivity

5 days with the Vision Pro and I've reached peak productivty. Just as I imagined, working in the Vision Pro has allowed me to more easily achieve the "Flow" state that I need for working on my philosophical project. The past two days in particular, I've worked 7 hours each day. Here's my...

forums.macrumors.com

 

[Lobwedgephil]

Sadly mine has not improved, I even switched back to my old Eero wifi router thinking maybe it could be a bug with the new Wifi 7 units I just installed but still happening. Someone on Reddit said that a few people believe it's a transcoding bug that specifically affects the M3 Macs. Do you have a M3 Mac?

Yeah, I have a M3 MBP. Strange, yeah I had trouble that first day, but for some reason has worked every time since.

 

[Napoli13]

Are you keeping or returning your Apple Vision Pro? Elaborate in the comments.

I loved the in store demo but did not buy that day. 48 hours later I bought the AVP and guess what, I have not opened the box and this is day four. I know I should take advantage of the 14 day return policy but I just do not have the inclination to start the process because I believe from all lthe comments and reviews that I have read that it will not be something I want to keep. I have all the Apple products and have loved all of them but I believe this product is doomed to fail. It is ticking the wrong boxes for me especially the thought of immersing myself in my own entertainment system and excluding others in the family. Sorry Apple I think it is very interesting but even at half the price I would not buy.

 

[BB8]

I officially returned mine largely due to the discomfort of wearing it (I already made a post about it leaving red marks on my face). I'm irresponsible enough to spend $3500 on a novelty item, but not if the experience discourages me from using it regularly.

I disagree with the above poster that it's doomed to fail though. The proof of concept is there and by all accounts many people get on fine using it. I'm hopeful that in a few generations they'll fix most of the big issues.

 

[techno-Zen]

I officially returned mine largely due to the discomfort of wearing it (I already made a post about it leaving red marks on my face). I'm irresponsible enough to spend $3500 on a novelty item, but not if the experience discourages me from using it regularly.

I disagree with the above poster that it's doomed to fail though. The proof of concept is there and by all accounts many people get on fine using it. I'm hopeful that in a few generations they'll fix most of the big issues.

Same, my wife actually allowed me to spend half of my Tesla tax credit on the thing.. I just didn't like it, it just wasn't good enough and the battery pack strapped on is annoying.

Quest 3 meets my VR needs quite nicely but I'll miss having my text messages and passwords autofill from iCloud lol

 

[DerekS]

Returned mine after 3 days. Reasons:

• Motion sickness that persisted for a very long time after removing (even into the next day)
• Not enough apps / too many daily-driver apps I use missing
• Does not work well in the dark, making bedtime use a non-starter
• Uncomfortable to have the pressure on my face / left marks
• Does not merit the price

 

[Napoli13]

Are you keeping or returning your Apple Vision Pro? Elaborate in the comments.

I officially returned mine largely due to the discomfort of wearing it (I already made a post about it leaving red marks on my face). I'm irresponsible enough to spend $3500 on a novelty item, but not if the experience discourages me from using it regularly.

I disagree with the above poster that it's doomed to fail though. The proof of concept is there and by all accounts many people get on fine using it. I'm hopeful that in a few generations they'll fix most of the big issues.

I withdraw that remark as I have no idea whether it will fail. I had just been reading a review where the reviewer came to that conclusion. I was unwittingly influenced by that review.

I was interested in another post from an older person (74) who made the point that at his age he is just so impressed with it all that he wants to enjoy it regardless of price. I am significantly older than 74 so that review has made me reappraise my perspective. The price is not going to affect me one way or the other. It is a bit like people I know saying they are going on a 'ski' trip when they mean they are 'spending kids inheritance'. I did a round the world trip when I first retired and it was crazy expensive but I am still glad I did it and I was extremely fortunate to be able to do so. I am trying to take a different view before deciding whether or not I should keep the AVP and I am sure that I should at least unbox it. I will try to talk myself into it today.

 

[richard371]

Returned mine yesterday. Definitely too many short comings and needs more time to bake. May look at the quest 3 which sounds like a more polished package overall at 1/7 the price.

 

[turbineseaplane]

Over half of respondents are keeping it?

No. Way.

Zero chance.

Folks are gaming the poll
People hate admitting when they were on the wrong side of the hype

 

[ovrlrd]

Over half of respondents are keeping it?

No. Way.

Zero chance.

Folks are gaming the poll
People hate admitting when they were on the wrong side of the hype

In polling this goes both ways (blind bias in both directions) and so the poll results will balance out naturally.

 

[RufusRyker]

Over half of respondents are keeping it?

No. Way.

Zero chance.

Folks are gaming the poll
People hate admitting when they were on the wrong side of the hype

I’m keeping mine!

 

[subjonas]

Does not work well in the dark, making bedtime use a non-starter

Can’t remember where I heard it but someone said it works in the dark except in bed because something about the position of lying down. I didn’t quite understand why, and I don’t have one to test. Can someone confirm or deny?

 

[its93rc]

Can’t remember where I heard it but someone said it works in the dark except in bed because something about the position of lying down. I didn’t quite understand why, and I don’t have one to test. Can someone confirm or deny?

Can anyone who owns one of these chime in? This would be my #1 use, lol.

 

[subjonas]

Can anyone who owns one of these chime in? This would be my #1 use, lol.

I just watched another reviewer say when the lighting is neither bright, nor dark, but just dim (strangely), that the finger tracking can run into problems so I guess you have to be more obvious with your finger taps.

At about 10:30

 

[BB8]

I used it primarily in a dimly lit room in bed (sitting up). It did work, but sometimes was frustratingly unreliable.

 

[Virtuoso]

I returned mine today. I hadn't even used it for the past 3 days. It's an outstanding movie watching device (with a few caveats), but it needs to improve in a lot of areas.

- No good as a work tool. I would love to be able to summon up multiple virtual screens from my existing setup (2019 Mac Pro with XDR), but a single fuzzy 3k resolution screen is just a downgrade on what I already have.
- Heavy and uncomfortable after 90 mins or so.
- Tracking is hit and miss in the evening under subdued lighting and useless in a dark room.
-High contrast scenes cause distracting internal glare and clouding of the image. This is not a light leak issue - it's the device optics. It happens in a totally dark room.
- Eye tracking on 'compatible apps' is crap. It only seems to work well with VP native apps.
- Pass through video looks much worse than I had expected, especially when the lighting is subdued.
- As I've already written it off as a work device, and I'm not interested in playing games with it, there's not much else to do beyond watch movies. For web browsing, emails, messages, facetime etc I'd rather use a Mac or an iPad than a heavy headset with a fuzzy image.

 

[FranApple]

After reading this thread, I wonder whether Meta is seeing a boost in sales from all of the people who like VR but want a better solution than what Apple has to offer.

 

[James.K.Polk]

I used it primarily in a dimly lit room in bed (sitting up). It did work, but sometimes was frustratingly unreliable.

You returned? I've also been using it in a relatively dim room. It works, perhaps imperfectly, but I'm going to try and move some lights around slightly and see what I can do.