Apple Vision Pro ZEISS Lens Inserts to Start at $99

[jlc1978]

They could just not include them in the European version if you think the problem is the ~evil EU~ polluting the world with basic consumer protections or whatever.

As someone who happily takes advantage of EU benefits, I don't think they are per se evil. However, There a re some things I think should not be required. If Apple were forced to provide prescription inserts for any buyers, I se several issues:

1. The price could go up for all buyers to cover the costs.
2. Some prescriptions may not be doable, and thus any regulation would either have to account for that or a manufacturer could be in violation through no fault of their own.

Legislation comes at a cost - manufacturers simply pass on the costs in the price of the product.

 

[jlc1978]

Quite probably not. Progressives exist to correct for presbyopia, age-related condition where the eye lens becomes inflexible and the accommodation range becomes narrower. This is fixed by using reading glasses (making the wearer unable to see far) or having eyeglasses where the lower part is more positive (or less negative) to enable focusing to near objects, such as books.

As current AR/VR glasses are not true three-dimensional displays, everything is displayed in the same plane at infinity. In other words, a person with normal eyesight will see a sharp image without straining their eyes (squeezing the crystalline lens in the eye).

As presbyopia only affects near vision, it does not matter with this type of VR. Whatever is the correction required for sharp vision to distance is the right correction here. The Px is probably quite close to what it was before progressives were needed.

Thanks for the explanation. So much for saving 3 grand...

 

[Night Spring]

The frustrating part of this is... Sometimes I wear my glasses. And sometimes I wear contacts. If I'm wearing contacts, I need readers. If wearing my glasses, I'd need the prescription lenses.

So I basically have to decide at time of purchase under which circumstances I will wear a Vision Pro going forward. And if I'm wearing my contacts one day, but I've decided on the prescription lenses, then I either can't wear the headset or I have to go through the process of taking out my lenses and then putting them back in when I'm done.

No, it's not the end of the world! It's not even a big deal! But it does add friction both to the initial purchase decision and to the anticipated daily use of the product.

Unless... Are the lenses interchangeable? Could I get readers and prescription lenses and swap them out, or do they become a part of the headset?

When you are wearing contacts, you should be able to pop out the prescription lenses from your Vision Pro, since they attach with magnets.

 

[Polinsky]

Quite probably not. Progressives exist to correct for presbyopia, age-related condition where the eye lens becomes inflexible and the accommodation range becomes narrower. This is fixed by using reading glasses (making the wearer unable to see far) or having eyeglasses where the lower part is more positive (or less negative) to enable focusing to near objects, such as books.

As current AR/VR glasses are not true three-dimensional displays, everything is displayed in the same plane at infinity. In other words, a person with normal eyesight will see a sharp image without straining their eyes (squeezing the crystalline lens in the eye).

As presbyopia only affects near vision, it does not matter with this type of VR. Whatever is the correction required for sharp vision to distance is the right correction here. The Px is probably quite close to what it was before progressives were needed.

Just to clarify, are you saying that if I'm farsighted and and use progressives which will have very little upper lens correction, but a lot of lower lens reading correction that I might not need a lens for the AVP if it focuses at infinity. Or does it focus at the eye to lens distance (a few inches) such that I would need the inserts to see close? Thanks.

 

[kirbyrun]

When you are wearing contacts, you should be able to pop out the prescription lenses from your Vision Pro, since they attach with magnets.

That's MUCH better! For some reason, I thought the lenses were permanently attached to the headset.

 

[zach-coleman]

1. The price could go up for all buyers to cover the costs.
2. Some prescriptions may not be doable, and thus any regulation would either have to account for that or a manufacturer could be in violation through no fault of their own.

Legislation comes at a cost - manufacturers simply pass on the costs in the price of the product.

The BoM is around $1500. They could eat the cost for a first generation product. And they could include fine print about the possible range of prescriptions. Do you not have any form of conditions or asterisks on products in Europe?

I never said they should be legally forced. I am saying that sounds like the kind of thing you give out along with your expensive first generation device (that’s already lacking in base storage) and you cut later when you begin to reduce the costs.

 

[DrV]

Can't they just give you a focus dial like a DSLR camera? I don't need glasses for that.

A good question! They could, as there needs to be a lens to project the small and near displays into infinity.

However, as making the lenses is not great business for Apple (even though ZEISS may pay some royalty), there is probably a good reason behind the unavailability of a focus adjustment.

I can think of three different reasons:

1. Diopter adjustment would require unacceptable compromises in the optical system, e.g., size, cost, or performance. The optical system may be a tricky one due to resolution, aperture, and viewing angle requirements.
2. Diopter adjustment would make gaze tracking more difficult or less accurate.
3. Most people with moderate myopia (i.e., most nerds) need some astigmatism correction, as well. Without astigmatism correction the viewing experience may suffer.

Without seeing the actual optical system and viewing specifications it is quite difficult to say which of these apply.

 

[ghostface147]

So I guess us blind as a bat people (although bars aren’t blind at all) can’t demo these accurately as we won’t have lenses to try.

 

[dannys1]

still complaining?
past days you thought this will come as $499 price

What part of the extremely well explained sarcasm didn't you get here?

 

[dannys1]

I guess they don't care as much about customers who are over 40 years old.

Don't be so ageist. I'm nearly 40 years old and my eyesight has been shot since I was about 15!

 

[jz0309]

Holy hell this is bad.
1) Does not support wearing glasses.
2) "Starting at $99" means that people with zero to a very small amount of correction might pay $99 (which undoubtedly have additional fees). For people like me with high astigmatism, the price is going to be significant on top of a device with an already significant price.

I have a Quest 3 and can make it work while wearing my glasses. For Apple's asking price they should be able to do the same. I guess they don't care as much about customers who are over 40 years old.

I guess you weren’t paying attention when VPro was first introduced last June, this is not a surprise

 

[Tagbert]

As others pointed out, contacts should work fine. I wear progressives so I'm probably SOL anyway, so my vision saved me 3 grand..

The display projects to a virtual 1.5-2m distance so you won’t need much accommodation. You could get a single focus prescription similar to what people do for monitors even if their regular glasses are progressives. You’ll have to fall back on a different reason to not get them. 😊

 

[jlc1978]

The BoM is around $1500. They could eat the cost for a first generation product.

No need to on such a specialized product.

And they could include fine print about the possible range of prescriptions. Do you not have any form of conditions or asterisks on products in Europe?

Sure, but that doesn't stop enforcement actions or whining.

I never said they should be legally forced. I am saying that sounds like the kind of thing you give out along with your expensive first generation device (that’s already lacking in base storage) and you cut later when you begin to reduce the costs.

Fair enough, but when the cut it later people will act as if they've lost something. Look at the removal of charging bricks after most people had plenty on hand already from previous purchases.

 

[Sandbag1]

This is just sad. For that device price the lenses should be included. And what does
“starts at” even means? I have astigmatism and fairly large correction, does it mean I’ll have to pay and arm and a leg on top of already pricey device?

Where does it say you have to buy the device?

 

[CharlesShaw]

As someone who happily takes advantage of EU benefits, I don't think they are per se evil. However, There a re some things I think should not be required. If Apple were forced to provide prescription inserts for any buyers, I se several issues:

1. The price could go up for all buyers to cover the costs.
2. Some prescriptions may not be doable, and thus any regulation would either have to account for that or a manufacturer could be in violation through no fault of their own.

Legislation comes at a cost - manufacturers simply pass on the costs in the price of the product.

3. Prescriptions change, sometimes annually. What happens when the owner needs a new set of inserts?

 

[Tagbert]

Serious question.
So, if someone is nearsighted - would they need to wear correction lenses - as the focus point I assume is very close.
I'm assuming glasses are only needed if you are farsighted (or both, if you are older and wear progressives) and that these would either be reading glassees, e.g. +1, +2 etc. Or Astigmatism.
You would never need negative value prescriptions.
Am i right in this?

The images on this are generated to appear at a virtual distance of around 1.5-2m. If you can focus at that distance, you don’t need lenses. Otherwise, it’s a lot like getting computer glasses for use with a monitor, but adjusted a little further out. Accommodation, as corrected by progressives, should not be an issue.

 

[MilaM]

Interesting. So to share the VP among friends and family you have to change these inserts, I guess?

 

[Tagbert]

The frustrating part of this is... Sometimes I wear my glasses. And sometimes I wear contacts. If I'm wearing contacts, I need readers. If wearing my glasses, I'd need the prescription lenses.

So I basically have to decide at time of purchase under which circumstances I will wear a Vision Pro going forward. And if I'm wearing my contacts one day, but I've decided on the prescription lenses, then I either can't wear the headset or I have to go through the process of taking out my lenses and then putting them back in when I'm done.

No, it's not the end of the world! It's not even a big deal! But it does add friction both to the initial purchase decision and to the anticipated daily use of the product.

Unless... Are the lenses interchangeable? Could I get readers and prescription lenses and swap them out, or do they become a part of the headset?

If you are wearing your contacts, then you might just pop out the prescription lenses. Can you focus at 2m with your contacts? If so, then the virtual screens should be in focus.

The lenses have magnets to attach them to the VP. It should be easy to pop them our and/or put in alternates if you really needed them.

 

[Polinsky]

The images on this are generated to appear at a virtual distance of around 1.5-2m.

Where do these numbers for virtuall distance come from?

 

[Surf Monkey]

Where does it say you have to buy the device?

Nowhere. But the magic of Apple past was that that everyone wanted their newest product. This time? Not the case.

 

[Tagbert]

I'm confused – don't most people who use "readers" only use them to look at very close things, like books/pones/etc.? And then take them off to look at everything else? How would you take the readers "off" to look at everything else, in a headset?

My other question is about bifocals – I only use glasses for nearsightedness, and either look under the lenses, or take my glasses off, to look at things close-up. Will I need a bifocal prescription (assuming they offer them) to use Vision Pro, so I can see things both close-up and everything else properly? Obviously I can't "look under" the inserts in a headset.

These lenses would be similar to the computer monitor glasses that some people get. They adapt your eyes to a focal distance appropriate to where your monitor sits. With the VP, everything is generated at a virtual distance of around 1.5-2m so when you go in for a fitting, they’ll target a prescription for that distance. If a simple diopter adjustment is enough, they you would be able to use the cheaper “reader” lenses.

 

[Tagbert]

Where do these numbers for virtuall distance come from?

Those are estimates based on what has been reported from people who have tried them out. I expect that, by the time of the official announcement, the tech specs will have the exact numbers.

 

[jimbobb24]

All my life I have great vision but now I need readers because I am old. I went to optometrist and he attached a lot of stuff that I have never noticed like tiny astigmatism that I told him during the exam was unnoticeable and he made me "pick one" leading to a prescription far beyond just the readers I need. So crazy. At the end he recommended I just get readers but the prescription is still lots of other stuff.

 

[CharlesShaw]

All my life I have great vision but now I need readers because I am old. I went to optometrist and he attached a lot of stuff that I have never noticed like tiny astigmatism that I told him during the exam was unnoticeable and he made me "pick one" leading to a prescription far beyond just the readers I need. So crazy. At the end he recommended I just get readers but the prescription is still lots of other stuff.

This makes me wonder if someone who hasn’t had their eyes checked will finally do so prior to ordering inserts for their Vision Pro, but the doctor will discover a potentially serious problem that was caught in time.

 

[timber]

I’m surprised by how reasonable that is. If you wear eyeglasses, ask your optician about getting Zeiss lenses on your prescription and you’ll be shocked by the price.

I have used glasses for 40 years and Zeiss lenses are nothing special, not cheap, not expensive, normal comparable to other quality lenses like Essilor.
Zeiss fotographic lenses are the ones that give the reputation and probably the reason Apple chose Zeiss so that people think they are getting something special (they aren't).
That being said these prices are acceptable (assuming 1 USD = 1 Euro which is quite simplistic) and reasonably competitive. Perhaps considering it is an indoors closed device you don't need all the fancy coatings so they could have been cheaper.
I do use contacts most of the time but you can't have an all day device just on contacts as it's not advisable to use from morning to bed.