Apple has entered the world of virtual and augmented reality with its $3,500 Vision Pro. Two weeks later, there were reports online about fans returning the spatial computing headphones. However, the reality seems to be a bit different. Research found that "there doesn't seem to be as many returns, and certainly no catastrophic consequences".
The news of returns came as the 14-day return policy window for Apple was about to end, so customers may have just wanted to get their cash back. The idea of the return season came from tweets and complaints about the headsets. While some valid complaints were raised by returners, it is incorrect to label it as a mass return.
As Mark Gurman of Bloomberg pointed out, there are several reasons for returns. For example, some people found the device too heavy and uncomfortable. Others were disappointed by the lack of applications, video content, and productivity features. Some users complained about the glare and narrow field of view of the headphones.
In contrast, others said it made them feel "isolated from family and friends" as it lacked meaningful shared experiences and was difficult for others to use. But everyone's situation is different. Many users are satisfied with this little gadget and have no intention of returning it (at least in the short term), including Gurman, who wrote the entire press release with the headphones.
Last June, at the annual WWDC conference, the iPhone maker introduced Vision Pro. Apple CEO Tim Cook said, "It's the first Apple product that you look through, not at." The product made its debut in the CEO's keynote speech and received the most display time (40 minutes!). The product promised to change the way humans collaborate with machines, and so far, that promise has been fulfilled.
Apple has always been committed to strengthening its ecosystem through every product it designs, whether it's a watch or headphones. Apple has done an excellent job in allowing users to seamlessly connect their Macs to Vision Pro, making it a perfect fit for work.
Promised as an "extraordinary new experience," Apple pledges that Vision Pro will bring a new dimension to powerful personal computing by changing the way users interact with their favorite apps, capturing and reliving memories, enjoying stunning TV shows and movies, and connecting with others in FaceTime.
Considering the limited options available at the moment, the initial version of Vision Pro did not meet the extraordinary standard. As it can only access Netflix and YouTube through web browsers and FaceTime needs further development, its full potential has yet to be realized.
As Joanna Stern pointed out on the "Tech Things" show hosted by The Wall Street Journal, the ability to create 3D avatars for FaceTime is terrible. The quality of the characters needs significant improvement to match our usual video call quality. Considering it is still in the testing phase, this improvement is expected to come soon.
There is no doubt that Apple's headphones are far superior in quality compared to alternative products on the market. The device features an ultra-high-resolution display system that is overall impressive. However, even compared to Apple's other products, the pricing factor is not attractive. One of the reasons early Vision Pro users returned the headphones is that they never intended to keep them.
Apple started developing Vision Pro ten years ago and released a stunning product. The issues still exist, but let's remember that this is the first version of the headphones. For Apple, what matters so far is not the return rate but producing a better and more affordable version.
