I think you're missing the fact that the phones contain an integral battery. The Vision Pro comes with an external battery and it's that which gets charged... via a USB C connector.
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Apple Vision Pro Battery Isn't Hot-Swappable, Switching Requires Restart
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no, those limits are 100 watt hours which is why the 16" mbp is 99.6Wh
Hope they don't invade anyones personal space flailing their arms around and pinching.
Time will tell how "invaded" passengers will feel.
I really don’t see how they can get away with semantics like that. Does it specify this in the directive?
As a whole device, including the remotely connected battery, charging is achieved by plugging in a USB C lead connected to a wall brick (or some other source of power, for example a power bank or even USB power made available on an airplane - provided it's sufficiently beefy). If you look at the spec of the battery, you'll see it's not standard USB voltage, therefore it's impossible to connect the device directly to a standard USB charger and thus bypass the battery pack.
Taken as a whole, the Vision Pro is charged using a USB C connector. It meets the EU requirements - even assuming they apply at all. End of story.
HobeSoundDarryl
macrumors G5
Before you make such a convicted conclusion, you might want to hop on YouTube and type in searches like Workouts with Oculus, then view one of MANY videos like this one...
Like Mac vs. PC or Android vs. iOS, if Oculus can do it, Vpro can do it too... only at a higher resolution, with better sound, etc. Oculus just has many years head start. Not one consumer even possesses their own Vpro yet.
While looking at any of those videos, read the comments of people who like to use this kind of tech to work out... and try not choose to focus on only those who can be critical. Some people see this tech as the very best way to motivate them to get a good workout. Not everyone must agree, but not everyone chooses to buy iPhone as best smart phone either. A good mix of "some people" liking something enough to motivate a Vpro purchase will buy Apple out of all they can supply in 2024: apparently somewhere between 300K-400K units MAX, against which they are apparently already over HALFWAY there in pre-launch. Then that leaves up to an entire year for Apple and third parties to improve & develop VR/AR apps to draw in more people when supply becomes available again.
Once again, I'll remind all that people pay Vpro-type prices for a Peloton bike plus forever subscriptions... to then experience virtual rides through exotic places by looking through a tiny rectangular window mounted to the front of the bike. This is a ONE-person-at-a-time experience, in average Joe's homes... and this can only offer a SINGLE application. Peloton has MILLIONS of customers paying that ongoing subscription to basically stream that single kind of experience to their little window. Another application of Vpro would be to put the rider of such bikes INTO the exotic places... so they can look all around as they ride... AKA "immersive". Help yourself imagine this with a video like this one...
Once it starts playing, click on the video and drag around to look up, down, left & right. In a Vpro version, there's no clicking & dragging, you just look wherever you want to look as you get your exercise. There are MANY of these on YouTube in all kinds of riding locations. Do a search for VR360 bicycle to get a sense of what this kind of app for Vpro could deliver.
Too many of us seem to be so price shocked or so committed to identifying only what's WRONG with this product... or what can go WRONG... or how every little nuance is not perfect in every way before anyone even possesses one... that it's like we've all checked our "think different" imaginations at the door. Feel whatever we want to feel but before we find the plaintiff guilty before even giving it an actual trial, maybe we should first seek out some (demo) evidence with our own eyes and, more importantly, take the same energy & imagination we are using to imagine what is WRONG to imagine what could be RIGHT... and the potential of a device that can show our eyes ANYTHING in a realistic way.
Time will evolve the rough edges in software, fix things that are less than ideal, etc. How many third party apps were there on iPhone launch day? ZERO. All this stuff we're sometimes making up to fault the thing is "opportunity" for developers to improve or offer superior third party options.
If one only seeks out negatives about ANYTHING, they will find negatives. If one ignores positives about anything, whatever it is will only seem negative. And vice versa. But the best way to judge anything- including this thing- is not pre-biased by rampant pessimism or optimism mostly on vapor... but by having a demo with one's own eyes in person. Then, it's not running on someone else's opinion(s) but forming one yourself as objectively as one can.
I continue to lean positive on Vpro but look forward to practicing what I preach: that is, try one in person and judge the reality of the product, NOT on piled-on pessimistic or optimistic speculation & imagination. Maybe it's as terrible as some speculate? Maybe it's as great as some speculate? Most likely, it is actually somewhere between both extremes. Beginning in 2 days, each person can do a very different thing not possible until Feb 2: go try one in person and see for yourself.
I have been around long enough to see EVERY major product Apple sells- PC, laptop, iPod, Smart Phone, Tablet, Smart Watch- ridiculed when they were first being introduced to the market. It's a good thing Apple and companies like them didn't give up on brand new kinds of products based upon pre-launch speculation & pessimism. I'd miss many tech goodies I use every day today had Apple & similar quit on them before they even launched.
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Because it's not a "charging" port, it's just how you connect the device together. The battery still charges with USB C. The batteries inside devices don't have to connect to the devices via USB C, they wouldn't have to change that just because the battery connects externally.
For me it's insane that you can't plug the Apple Vision straight to a socket, but must go through the battery first.
So basically, when the battery isn't working anymore and there are no replacements for it, you cannot use the device anymore.
I mean, it's the same with laptops, but at least the battery lasts way longer, hence will last many more years compared to AV.
So basically, when the battery isn't working anymore and there are no replacements for it, you cannot use the device anymore.
I mean, it's the same with laptops, but at least the battery lasts way longer, hence will last many more years compared to AV.
It really does drive me nuts how mAh is used instead of Wh for batteries. I think this comes from the days when battery cells had only two specs printed on them: nominal voltage, and mAh. Voltage was often single-cell lithium (3.7V) so mAh became the comparison (back before USB-C/PD days when every charger was 5V). Nowadays many batteries include the Wh on their label which is obviously just the product of the two and a much more appropriate value to compare.
One industry that comes to mind is electric power tools. They are all classified by their voltage platform (80V lawn mower, 18V drill/driver, etc.) which is usually printed somewhere big and bold. Then, the batteries are in Ah ratings. This makes a little more sense, but I still don't see why they don't just use Wh for the batteries so people could actually compare total output directly without having to factor in the voltage platform.
One industry that comes to mind is electric power tools. They are all classified by their voltage platform (80V lawn mower, 18V drill/driver, etc.) which is usually printed somewhere big and bold. Then, the batteries are in Ah ratings. This makes a little more sense, but I still don't see why they don't just use Wh for the batteries so people could actually compare total output directly without having to factor in the voltage platform.
That's interesting. I didn't see that. I'm not sure why Apple would prevent it from being removed by having the facility possible with a special tool- perhaps to reduce accidental disconnections powering the device off? They could have resolved that with a locking button or switch. Thanks for pointing that out, though.
Edit: Why the downvote? 😅
Yeah, I spotted the review claiming longer viewing time a lot longer than advertised by Apple, after writing my post. That's good news.
Regarding the cable accidentally disconnecting reason- I guess they easily could have put a locking button or switch on there to prevent it happening accidentally if they'd wanted, as I just relied to someone else.
I’d guess different voltages and amperage than what USB-C provides. Otherwise they’d need more hardware in the headset to convert it. That might even explain why it doesn’t have a small battery to achieve hot swapping; there’s nothing to charge, so USB-C charging mandates don’t apply to the headset, only the battery pack.
You can't plug Apple vision to the wall socket, unfortunately it can only connect to the battery. The battery, on the other hand, can be connected - duh - to the socket 😉
I think it's obvious. The battery pack is already twice the size and weight of an iPhone Pro Max. The pack is meant to be carried around. It is further meant to be used when you are in motion, walking around or similar. If you are stationary, there is the option to have a power cord connected to the pack and drive the headset without any limitations.
I could see the battery limitation as a factor if you have a long distance flight with no power outlet and want to watch several movies back to back, but apart from that... perhaps after two+ hours walking around with the AVP, a break is in order anyway.
Yeah, they probably don’t see the possibility of the cable becoming damaged justifying the cost of having a locking mechanism on both sides instead of just one side. This is similar to how the HomePods have non-detachable power cords, and similar for some iMacs or Apple displays IIRC.
HobeSoundDarryl
macrumors G5
So see this problem as an opportunity and source a supplier to build a direct connect power adapter, market it as such and enjoy the revenue... or stand by just a few days or weeks and watch other entrepreneurs such as OWC roll out every accessory we are imagining that is missing at this pre-launch point in time... and then some.
Almost all gripes about Vpro can be recast as entrepreneurial opportunity through a different lens:
- "only 2 hour battery life", so buy a second battery or, for a discount to that price, buy a battery bank- just like many do to add on-the-go life to devices like iPhone or MB. Or when flying, filter flights to those most likely to have electric sockets in seat... much like one might favor airlines with seatback screens, wifi, etc.
- "it doesn't have this app", so code that app and carve out some revenue opportunity for yourself... or stand by and some entrepreneur will fill that gap in the initial mix of apps soon. iPhone wasn't a flashlight at launch. It wasn't a tape measure at launch. It wasn't a credit card, a HD or 4K camcorder, custom-fit tailor, voice controllable, Ticket manager, Compass, turn-by-turn GPS navigator, etc. In fact, iPhone launched with a grand total of ZERO third party apps and remained that way for a generation.
- "creepy personas", so code something that scans better-looking personas and/or develop a device like an MRI machine to scan one's head in countless ways to capture every detail. Then roll out "pro personas" or sell the creation to Apple to put in their stores and let people come in and make a pro persona for a few bucks. Good dentists have a device that will scan your whole mouth in 3D in rich detail. Can such a device to make perfect personas be far behind? Whoever makes it first has a big solution to a current problem... and probably a new career at Apple if acquired.
- "games! games!", so code some Vpro games and be among the first with games to take full advantage of it.
- "sports", so work a deal with league to install VR 360 cameras and partner on revenue for virtual attending of games: AKA NFL ST VR, MLB VR, NBA VR, etc.
- "$200 marshmallow/moon bag is robbery and too big" so make a better Vpro bag. There's now at least 3 already for sale on Ebay... with certainly more to follow. All 3 are priced BELOW $40.
- "only ONE Mac screen", so use Spaces & Mission Control for immediate access to many Mac apps through that single frame for now and/or develop an app to display all Spaces screens in Vpro but overcome the bandwidth limitation by making only the one eyes are viewing now get active screen updates. The others can be updated either when you look at them or when the main screen doesn't need much updating (like when reading email).
- "my hair! my hair! and 'dorky'", so have a comb at the ready and/or don't use Vpro ahead of some social situation where you need perfect hair. Sub in iDevices or Macs where those tools better fit the situation.
- Etc.
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The quasi-detachable OG HomePod cord was a strange thing indeed. Detachable, but only with a LOT of force. Sensible they changed it. A Vision Pro seems like a strange place to save 10 cents. 😅
Edit: I'd say it's also great that the Apple power adapters no longer have attached power cords, because the cords always died first, but gosh they put the price of the adapter/cable combo up a lot!
Why is that a duh? As mentioned above somewhere, the AVP uses different wattage/voltage than what USB provides, so a direct connection would not work. Also as mentioned in the article, the AVP does not like to be disconnected from its power source during operation, so it is a very good idea to always have the battery pack in between.
So you can charge the battery and run the AVP using outlet power, and if you need to move around, you disconnect the battery pack and keep going with whatever you do on the AVP. I find that rather convenient.
The iPhone has a battery and the headset doesn’t. You can’t use USB-C to charge something that doesn’t have anything to charge. The battery pack does, though and it has USB-C