Apple Vision Pro Battery Isn't Hot-Swappable, Switching Requires Restart

[Abobrek]

So excited to get this. Only two more days to wait. I actually think of much smaller battery pack would be a great accessory. Something that gets you through a workout or a brief time away from an outlet. Super comfortable to carry in pocket. That would allow you to take quick trips away from an outlet without the stock battery pack. I'm sure there's lots of accessories to come

Wait…what?? A WORKOUT?? This isn’t meant for working out. Hence why Fitness+ isn’t available. And also, do you realize how dirty and sweat stained that headband and light seal will get? Plus the heat would be unbearable

 

[hans1972]

Yeah how are Apple going to get away with this with the EU? Really hope future Vision Pros use type c on the device itself. Is there any reason why it’s yet another stupid proprietary connector?

The common charger directive only applies to certain radio equipment devices. The part about USB-C only applies if the device itself is charged. The Visio Pro is never charged since it doesn't have a battery.

The external battery is the charging device and it has USB-C port.

Also the directive doesn't apply to batteries at all and so I belive that the battery could have had another charging port.

 

[coredev]

This question is coming from complete ignorance of batteries.....will we be able to trickle charge the Vision Pro battery with an iPhone 15 Pro?

Since the AVP battery has a much higher capacity, that would not be a good idea. The iPhone would be dead before the AVP battery is half way full. A huge power bank would make more sense here, seeing that AVP charges with only 30W.

 

[Abobrek]

Why do you care how I or others cover our eyes on an airplane? This seems oddly obsessive. Does it bother you if I wear an eye mask and headphones?

Having to tap someone on the shoulder to use the bathroom and have them look at you with a weird, poorly represented version of their eyes would be pretty bothersome. Headphones just require a tap and perhaps a gesture…

 

[Abobrek]

It's not the headset. It's everything that will occur (in a confined space) leading up to wearing it... which likely occur in reverse approximately 2.5 hours later. Whether for the novelty, or a lack of situational awareness, it will be a scene.

I also would imagine that airlines wouldn’t be too keen on someone completely blocking out everything due to safety concerns. I wouldn’t be surprised if AVP became banned on flights for that reason.

 

[spcopsmac21]

Do you want to carry around a car battery size battery for more life? Lol

No no, just the option for a bigger 1st party battery. And not a $3500 gimmick.

 

[doelcm82]

Having to tap someone on the shoulder to use the bathroom and have them look at you with a weird, poorly represented version of their eyes would be pretty bothersome. Headphones just require a tap and perhaps a gesture…

Then hold it.

 

[klasma]

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. 😅

They would have needed to add some mechanical locking mechanism like they have on the side attached to the headset. Probably more than 10 cents. And since we’re relating it to the AVP price, surely Apple’s thinking is that the few users who break the cord and don’t have AC+ will be able to afford a new battery pack, since they were able to afford the AVP.

 

[PowerMac5500]

Deleted

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

Having to tap someone on the shoulder to use the bathroom and have them look at you with a weird, poorly represented version of their eyes would be pretty bothersome. Headphones just require a tap and perhaps a gesture…

I also would imagine that airlines wouldn’t be too keen on someone completely blocking out everything due to safety concerns. I wouldn’t be surprised if AVP became banned on flights for that reason.

Have you flown lately? Sleep masks are fairly common- especially on longer flights. Not only are people covering their eyes but they are fully unconscious.

And how does someone needing to use the restroom get past that? They wake them, that person lifts the mask to grasp the situation, then lets the person out. This would be the same, MINUS the aggravation for some in being awakened before nearing the destination.

If I'm very worried about this non-problem (because at MAX, maybe 400K people in the entire world might have a Vpro in all of this year), I book myself an aisle seat, so I don't have to wake anyone.

And if the rare Vpro owner or (intending to be a) sleeper is conscientious about this issue, they book themselves as close to the window as possible, so others in their row can get out without having to tap/wake them. They get their sleep (or use their Vpro) and you get to go to the restroom without having to tap anyone on the shoulder.

 

[baryon]

Yay! Another proprietary lithium battery!

I with there was a standard for lithium batteries that every device could use. Like 18650s the way we used AAs for everything. What's stopping cameras and other "not super thin" electronics from just using standard lithium cells? I'm not saying laptops and phones, but this thing could easily use standard cells instead of this thing that can't be used for anything else. You end up carrying many battery packs with you, they all do the same thing, they all cost money, and neither are compatible with more than one product. It's super wasteful. Or just make it USB-C and let me use any modern power bank.

 

[mazz0]

Not hot-swappable is silly. It should have a smaller battery to keep it powered while you swap the main battery.

Hard-wired cable is terrible. I flipping hate those. My cats love them though.

 

[DeepWebinar]

it’s amazing to me they released something this bad. it’s so stupid, i’m loving all the tech bloggers desperately trying to spin this turd into a positive, desperately trying to not lose access to future apple releases. i hope they release like 3 versions and then do that thing where they don’t update it for like 4 years and quietly drop it. this thing has zero chance of being around in 10 years.

 

[Abobrek]

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...

View attachment 2343479​

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.

Except the Quest is made to workout in. There are apps and even a workout face pad to attach to it. Apple has made it VERY clear the AVP ISN’T for working out, hence the lack of Fitness+. Plus That headstrap and front seal would get SOAKED with dirt and sweat!

 

[lovehateapple]

EU meddlers won’t be happy about a proprietary battery pack if this thing makes it to European shores 😳

Exactly, the unfortunate and dangerous precedent has been set, the government can now regulate just about every aspect of any product, instead of just letting companies and consumers decide for themselves what they want to produce, sell, and buy.

 

[hagar]

EU meddlers won’t be happy about a proprietary battery pack if this thing makes it to European shores 😳

Legislation about USB-C doesn’t extend to wearables. So Apple will be fine.

But at the same time it’s annoying companies keep switching ports. In this case I understand it but companies should only deviate from USB-C If absolutely necessary.

 

[macman01101]

The mods and editors here have a narrative to keep up. Explains a lot. 🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️

 

[deathcab]

How long is the boot time on the AVP?

For me at least, that would be the metric that makes the fact batteries can't be hot swapped a non-issue, a minor annoyance, or a major design deficit.

 

[hagar]

Exactly, the unfortunate and dangerous precedent has been set, the government can now regulate just about every aspect of any product, instead of just letting companies and consumers decide for themselves what they want to produce, sell, and buy.

Not true. Wearables are not part of the EU legislation around USB-C so this device is in the clear.

You keep pointing to all the magic happening when every device on the planet has a different charging port. But what about the advantages!?

 

[AlastorKatriona]

Most people seem to be done using it after about 30 minutes at a time and can't tolerate much more, so I don't think the battery life is any concern at all.

 

[deadspider187]

There has to be a reason(s) why Apple limited battery life for this device.

Maybe because it can't be worn for over 30-45 minutes without getting uncomfortable? I mean, there's only so long you can sit in one spot with a massive weight attached to your face.

 

[8KYUP]

Wait…what?? A WORKOUT?? This isn’t meant for working out. Hence why Fitness+ isn’t available. And also, do you realize how dirty and sweat stained that headband and light seal will get? Plus the heat would be unbearable

Workouts should be great as they are in all VR. Accessory facial seals are available in every variety for Quest. I am sure the same will come for Vision pro. It is just a small magentic piece which fits inside the lightguard. VP comes wth two. Some parts are going to be consumables. Think watchbands.

 

[satchmo]

And the hits just keep on comin'.

 

[TechnicallyAMechEngineer]

The Apple Vision Pro headset comes with an external battery pack with a capacity of 3,166 mAh, compared to the 3,274 mAh battery found in the iPhone 15 Pro, although the voltages are different so the measurement alone can't be considered equivalent. Reviewers have also reported that there are significant size and weight differences between the two.

According to Daring Fireball's John Gruber, the Vision Pro battery is about the width and height of an iPhone 15 Pro, but thicker. Weight-wise, it is also heavier: About 325g, compared to 187g for an iPhone 15 Pro. "It's closer in thickness and weight to two iPhone 15's than it is to one," according to Gruber.

Marques Brownlee in his unboxing video also described the battery as "pretty heavy," and compared it to phones with larger capacity 5,000+ mAh batteries that feel "much lighter." We'll probably have to wait for a teardown to find out what the additional weight can be attributed to.

The external battery pack that comes with the Vision Pro is silver, has a proprietary connector for attaching to the headset, and a USB-C port for charging via the included 30W wall charger. The proprietary connector is connected to the Vision Pro by rotating it a quarter turn to lock it into place.

For those considering buying an additional $200 battery pack, one thing to bear in mind is that Vision Pro batteries are not hot-swappable: As Gruber notes, there is no built-in reserve battery in the headset, so when the power cable is disconnected, Vision Pro immediately powers off. A manual reboot is therefore required to switch batteries.

Apple says the Vision Pro provides up to two hours of battery life overall, and up to 2.5 hours for 2D video playback specifically. However, several reviewers claim to have gotten up to three hours out of a single charge in general use, with one reviewer saying they were able to watch a three-hour movie on a single charge.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1752464226092798125

In terms of battery life, it doesn't make sense to compare the Vision Pro to the iPhone 15 Pro, given that the former undoubtedly draws a lot more juice to power an array of much more sophisticated cameras, sensors, displays, speakers, and microphones.

Apple Vision Pro launches in the U.S. on Friday, February 2. Apple has said the Vision Pro will launch in additional countries later this year.

Article updated to remove phrasing that implied mAh measurement alone is equivalent without an indication of voltage. Apologies for the error.

Article Link: Apple Vision Pro Battery Isn't Hot-Swappable, Switching Requires Restart

At almost half the cost of a second AVP battery, the Anker Power Bank, 25,600mAh Portable Charger is a way better value in every regard. It makes hot swapping the AVP battery for another moot.

 

[arkitect]

So what if other passengers can't stop staring? It's not like the wearer of the Vision Pro need take any notice of them whatsoever - they can just retreat into their private virtual space and block out any jealous humanity nearby.

And if you're suggesting that others might do something unwanted physically, then that would be heading towards assault, and people typically get thrown off planes for that.

Why is the assumption always jealousy?

Curiosity, interest, derision… mockery… those are all equally valid reasons why people might stop and stare.