Apple to Sell Belkin Head Strap for Use With Vision Pro's Solo Knit Band [Now Available]

[jo-1]

Good news?

Sure - every future incarnation will just be better than the current one - you're not forced to buy it now

You would think that the outcome would be a lot more cost efficient and software aplenty after 10 years of working on it.

Why? Will there ever be a Ferrari that is more cost effective than a VW Golf? Their new 12Cilindri took them roughly 50 years of development to come to this pinnacle in design and first tests proof that it will be stunning for the few that will ever own one.

4 years ago Apple bought NextVR,..where is the NextVR content??...As you say they've had at least 10 years and unfortunately failed at the start line.

For me they succeeded to make a fantastic product and I love it. They convinced Canon and Blackmagic to develop filming tools to make efficiently content - with all due respect - I think it is the best ever done MR head mounted device. And all further one from Apple will be inn many aspects better.

That's good news

 

[CausticSoda]

For a company that loves to point out it does need/want to be first, but waits to do everything really well, this expensive beta product strikes me as odd.

 

[jo-1]

For a company that loves to point out it does need/want to be first, but waits to do everything really well, this expensive beta product strikes me as odd.

the AVP is the best MR headset on the market you can buy - they all suffer from the same physical limitations.

Apple succeeded to deliver:

• best in class displays with the highest contrast and resolution
• highes computational power in any MR headset
• best audio and video performance

I don't perceive the price as a limitation factor - most seem to mix up their own measures with the competition landscape

In case you haven't done a demo in an Apple store go for it - it is stunning - when you e.g. open a window it will be rock solid in the room and no matter how you jump around it or shake you head it is almost nailed to the scene - for me magic - no other headset can do that in this quality

 

[CausticSoda]

the AVP is the best MR headset on the market you can buy - they all suffer from the same physical limitations.

Apple succeeded to deliver:

• best in class displays with the highest contrast and resolution
• highes computational power in any MR headset
• best audio and video performance

I don't perceive the price as a limitation factor - most seem to mix up their own measures with the competition landscape

In case you haven't done a demo in an Apple store go for it - it is stunning - when you e.g. open a window it will be rock solid in the room and no matter how you jump around it or shake you head it is almost nailed to the scene - for me magic - no other headset can do that in this quality

It’s a fair point. I haven’t tried it yet and nearly did the other day actually. I tend to read about more negatives than positives which has shaped my view to some extent.

Perhaps it is more accurate to say that it is ahead of its time in some respects, but the comfort / physical limitations / battery life etc mean most people are not ready to adopt it, so it feels like it has been made too early?

 

[bLackjackj]

For a company that loves to point out it does need/want to be first, but waits to do everything really well, this expensive beta product strikes me as odd.

Tim's pet project. We've already heard the stories of basically every engineer saying no, and Tim saying yes. Tim is no engineer and the Apple VR headset totally smells of pre-baked. It's heavy, overpriced, short lasting, lacks content and those are just a few of the reasons why Apple have lost so much money on the development and design and it hasent sold. I could have bought one, but smart enough not to after the demo. Let's see v2.

For those who wasted there money, enjoy.


Again, they bought NextVR and it appears the only content they made available was short sports clips for the demo.

 

[bLackjackj]

I haven’t tried it yet and nearly did the other day actually. I tend to read about more negatives than positives which has shaped my view to some extent.

Try it,..just make sure to book in a physio appointment after Lol..its such a scripted demo, that it makes you wonder what they don't want you to see.

 

[jdavid_rp]

I just don't know if people will ever get used to the idea of strapping something onto their face.

People will sit at a screen, hold a screen, shove things in their ear holes, strap things to their wrists, even put things on the bridge of their nose and top of their ears but...

Unless you're going underwater, or little bits of things are flying all around, nobody wants to strap something over their eyes. Even then they take it off as soon as possible.

I would love the immersive display, but strapping something onto my face is something that's hard to get used to. EyeSight was a decent swing and a miss to try to mitigate some of the issues but...it's never going to be iPhone or even laptop or even Apple Watch level popular.

I thought that with my Quest 2, that the process to use them was uncomfortable and I would prefer to just watch a show or play a game on my computer. With the Quest 3 tho it’s a bit different, they feel easier to put on and the full color pass through view keeps you connected with your environment, not feeling “encapsulated”.

I think Vision Pro just needs to get lighter to achieve this, besides a nice selection of useful apps for daily life

 

[jo-1]

It’s a fair point.

I'd certainly hope that all discussions a civilized with good arguments and for a fruitful dicussion and hopefully an exchange of ideas and positive engagement - unfortunately this is just a hope - most contributions are just hate and misinformation

I haven’t tried it yet and nearly did the other day actually.

Arguing about something you have not experienced yourself is like relying on politicians for understanding what's needed. Seldomly that's your or my needs - I ALWAYS get my own hands on and then I make my own judgement most of the time I even buy stuff since testing it for a limited time does not give the whole experience - gut my Porsche 13 years ago and everybody told me that it's going to be a totally negative experience - only to find out that it's the 2nd best thing after sex

I tend to read about more negatives than positives which has shaped my view to some extent.

You should not read too much into that:

1. People who can or will not afford it will only speak negative about it since it's obviously not for them - in this case with a healthy margin the majority - no wonder - people to struggle with other things and the AVP is a luxury problem - not for daily living
2. A forum member wrote in a different thread that h is only here for Schadenfreude and that he like to bash things he dislikes - he never tried it himself as well - get the pattern?
3. Getting one's mind shaped by the opinion of others is called brainwashing - I like to get my own unbiased opinion about my perception - how could you describe the taste of truffles in case you never tried them?

Perhaps it is more accurate to say that it is ahead of its time in some respects, but the comfort / physical limitations / battery life etc mean most people are not ready to adopt it, so it feels like it has been made too early?

Good summary and that's the reasons why it will take IMHO at least ½ decade until we'll see a consumer product - but the technology behind is the important point. Apple has made the VR Kit and base technologies for enabling such a device. When you look at the M4 Max you'll see what advanced SoCs can do and thus extrapolate this development two further generations and you get to much less power consumption and far better aka lighter experience.

Yet - I personally could not stand mission out on this first generation - I would never ever forgive in the further my today's younger incarnation not to have used it extensively and being part of the beginning - I LOVE technology and the comfort is not really a big point for that.

I had a laser printer when almost nobody had a matrix printer with needles - can you imagine not having a good ( and cheap ) printer at home today?

 

[imanidiot]

Apple plans to sell a Belkin head strap that can be attached to the Vision Pro's Solo Knit Band, for added comfort and stability while wearing the headset, according to a product listing spotted by Brad Lynch of EOZ VR (reposted by @M1Astra).

The adjustable strap features a "secure locking mechanism for additional stabilization," and it offers a "precise fit for a wide range of head sizes and shapes."

"Designed with aesthetics that make a great addition to the Solo Knit band, the Head Strap features a secure locking mechanism and additional stabilization points to keep Apple Vision Pro in place, even during vigorous movement," the product listing says.

The band will cost $49.95 on Apple's online store in the U.S., but it is not yet available to order. It is unclear when the head strap will be released.

When the Vision Pro was unveiled at WWDC 2023, Apple showed someone wearing the headset with both a Solo Knit Band and a head strap, and it even offered members of the press that combination when they demoed the device. However, that head strap was never made available to the public. In addition to the Solo Knit Band, the Vision Pro ships with the Dual Loop Band, which has a pair of upper and lower slimmer straps.

Apple showed the Solo Knit Band with a head strap at WWDC 2023​

Some customers find the Vision Pro to still feel heavy on the face even with the Dual Loop Band. In response to this feedback, it seems likely that Apple partnered with Belkin to come up with a head strap for use with the Solo Knit Band after all.

Article Link: Apple to Sell Belkin Head Strap for Use With Vision Pro's Solo Knit Band

I'm sorry, but in MHO people wearing the AVP look ridiculous.

 

[AndiG]

Ironically, I just began to explore selling my AVP. The weight really hits the front of the face; hopefully, there's a better solution in the future or next generation. I've tried a few Amazon items to help with the front weight distribution, but I haven’t found one that is comfortable for >1 hour of use.
Very promising product; I'm eager to see this evolve over time!

Just checked the only market. AVP is available for a really short time in germany - but tons of people already try to sell it. Is there really anyone that keeps it (despite those 1 or 2 MR forum members)?

 

[svish]

Good to know. Hopefully the fit and comfort will be better in the next version of Vision Pro.

 

[HeThatShallNotBeNamed]

Selling follow-up orthopedic accessories is generally not a great sign for a product line.

Head straps were the number one topic AVP Reddit forums was a sign this product was going to fail.

 

[jo-1]

Just checked the only market. AVP is available for a really short time in germany - but tons of people already try to sell it. Is there really anyone that keeps it (despite those 1 or 2 MR forum members)?

actually - three from Germany are on eBay - just checked

edit: 100x more are trying to sell their much cheaper Meta Quest 3 in Germany

 

[AndiG]

actually - three from Germany are on eBay - just checked

you have to check e.g. kleinanzeigen.de - (once owned by ebay) we‘re no longer so much into ebay.
But there are also more sites.

Here you go
https://www.kleinanzeigen.de/s-apple-vision-pro/k0

 

[Geoffb9]

Apple Vision Pro will go down as one of the worse product launches in its history.

 

[Enclavean]

People pay $3500 to not need to wear glasses that weigh 1/10th of what the Apple Vision weighs. I don't see it ever being as ubiquitous as their other product lines.

Good point, glasses weigh 45g-ish, Apple Vision is 650g so 6.92%.

Apple needs to go the smart glasses route.

 

[Geoffb9]

Shouldn’t they include it for free? I know they don’t want to admit it, but it seems it was a design flaw.

 

[CBlakeston]

This can’t be correct because I read earlier this week the Vision Pro was a failure and production was stopped 👀 / sarcasm

All joking aside, looks great. Not sure I’ll be giving up my AnnaPro any time soon or my AnnaPro V2 when it arrives, but the more options the better.

 

[CBlakeston]

Shouldn’t they include it for free? I know they don’t want to admit it, but it seems it was a design flaw.

Not really. It’s not like a phone. Everyone has different head shapes and preferences. I have some friends who use it fine with the solo strap for hours at a time no problem, I prefer the AnnaPro head support. There’s no real way to design one way to suit everyone so better to give people the choice. Apple do ship two types of headbands in the box.

 

[CBlakeston]

Good news? You would think that the outcome would be a lot more cost efficient and software aplenty after 10 years of working on it.

4 years ago Apple bought NextVR,..where is the NextVR content??...As you say they've had at least 10 years and unfortunately failed at the start line.

Have you an actually tried to make vr content? It’s something I’m getting into lately and even on a high end Mac Studio it takes 5hrs to render 30 seconds before you can even watch it back.

VR video production is in the very early stages of workflows being built out. And it takes years to make regular TV and movies.

 

[DrJR]

I’m looking for an aftermarket chin strap.

Wish Apple would innovate that into the next version!

 

[Piggie]

What Apple needs to do is have a counter-weight, something on the back of the head that weighs as much as the Vision device on the front, so there isn't a net force pulling the head forward and hurting the neck. This should be simple, why aren't any headset makers doing it?

I'm guessing someone must have made this by now.
but the cheap and obvious answer would seem to be a couple of small clips that you can attach the the back of the headset strap where you can then clip on the battery pack.

So if you are standing up, or sitting in a normal chair, the weight of the battery with counteract the weight on the headset on the front of your face.
And if you do wish to lie down for for example you can simply unclip the batter pack and use it as normal.

Would seem a very cheap and easy method to improve the weight balance.

Just did a quick search and found one already designed for a 3D printer to create.

Apple Vision Pro Solo Knit Band Battery Holder by Evan000 | Download free STL model | Printables.com

 

[yabeweb]

For a company that loves to point out it does need/want to be first, but waits to do everything really well, this expensive beta product strikes me as odd.

It strikes me as odd that a company consider a 3500 dollars device as a beta product.

It's not priced like one, it is not sold like one, but when sales are not as expected it's called beta.

Let's not forget that this si "the best Apple vision we have ever developed".

 

[brofkand]

It's incredibly heavy. During my demo at the Apple Store some months ago, I walked out looking like I was wearing ski goggles due to the impression it left on my face. I tried my best to adjust it but it was still uncomfortably heavy, and it started getting hot. I was not impressed with the device, honestly.

I don't think the world needs any more Apple devices with training wheels OSes. I thought the failure of the app store on the watch would have taught Apple that, but evidently not.

 

[x86dude]

Spare a tought for the engineers at Belkin.

”Hey guys ! Great news. We got the contract to supply the strap for AVPs”. 😫