Apple Vision Pro teardown reveals why it's seven times pricier than a Meta Quest 3

Date:
Thu, 08 Feb 2024 12:17:42 +0000

Description:
The Vision Pro has been dismantled by repair gurus iFixit, and some
incredible facts have emerged from the teardown.

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The repair experts at iFixit have just released the second part of their
Apple Vision Pro teardown (along with an accompanying blog post ). Its revealed a bunch of fascinating facts about Apples high-end device just days after iFixits first investigation tore into the device and most
intriguingly, the demolition process has revealed a major reason why the headset is quite so eye-wateringly expensive.

Before the Vision Pro launched, leaked reports claimed it would come with a
4K resolution for each eye, promising incredible visual clarity unmatched by any rival device. At the time of release, Apple said the headsets resolution was higher than that of a 4K TV, although the company didnt actually say the Vision Pro crossed the 4K threshold itself, which is a 3840x2160 resolution.

So, does the Vision Pro live up to Apples 4K promise? Well, according to iFixit the teardown, each eyepiece in the Vision Pro comes with a sky-high pixel resolution of 3660x3200 ( a figure we estimated back in June 2023).

Thats not quite 4K due to the lower horizontal resolution, but it equates to
a pixels-per-inch (ppi) rating of 3,386 way beyond anything Apples rivals
can put together. The Meta Quest 3 , for instance, is almost three times
lower at 1,218ppi, while the HTC Vive Pro clocks in at a measly 950ppi.

The Vision Pros ultra-high resolution gives you about 11.4 million pixels per eye, which is very close to Apples claim of 23 million total pixels across both eyepieces. That incredible resolution goes some way to explaining why
the Vision Pro is so much more expensive than its competitors: visually speaking, its far ahead of them.

That said, Apples price is still less than some resale sites are charging. As spotted by Bloomberg , some retailers outside the U.S. are listing the Vision Pro for way above its $3,500 asking price (around 2,780 / AU$5,385). In
Japan, units have been sold for the equivalent of $5,400 (around 4,285 / AU$8,310), while one seller in Singapore sought $6,300 (around 5,000 / AU$9,695) for the device. That all makes Apples original price look downright affordable (well, almost). More secrets revealed (Image credit: Future)

The iFixit teardown revealed a bevy of other interesting tidbits surrounding the Vision Pro. For instance, it was recently discovered that the headsets battery pack uses a custom Lightning-style connector , and there was concern that this would limit the availability of third-party battery packs.

This connector, iFixit believes, is actually due to the battery packs high voltage, which is above what most battery packs offer due to the headsets beefy power demands. Apple used a custom connector, says iFixits team, to prevent people plugging in other accessories and accidentally frying them
with the battery packs elevated output.

In the end, iFixit gave the Vision Pro a repairability score of four out of 10. The device scored points for its modular earpieces, straps and light
seal, and for what appears to be a complete lack of parts pairing (meaning replacement parts should work as expected). However, iFixit dinged the device for how difficult it is to get into, its unrepairable front glass and OLED display, and the physically sealed battery pack.

Put together, iFixits report is a fascinating peek into the inner workings of the Vision Pro, and theres plenty more detail listed in iFixits supplementary blog post . Sure, Apples headset is incredibly expensive, but at least when
it comes to visual fidelity, you certainly get what you pay for. You might also like Apple Vision Pro review: The spatial computing revolution is here, and I love it Someone just found a funny surprise hidden inside the Apple Vision Pro headset An Apple Vision Pro has been tested to destruction and
you might be surprised by the results



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/computing/apple-vision-pro-teardown-reveals-why-its- seven-times-pricier-than-a-meta-quest-3


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