Vision Pro Battery & Power - Questions and Discussion (MERGED)

[fs454]

I did a bit of figuring now that we know the official battery pack weighs 353g. GPT-4, armed with the knowledge that it's a lithium ion battery that supplies 30w USB C PD, weighs 353g and has an aluminum shell estimated approximately 19,000mah. I'm betting with the exact power density number and actual weight of the shell this is for all intents and purposes a 20,000 mah pack.




This also means the Vision Pro likely consumes ~10,000mAh per hour, give or take. So a 20,000mah 30w USB C power bank is likely to add an additional 2 hours of runtime when plugged into the AVP's battery pack. I believe this is going to be the preferred way of extending battery time on the Vision Pro rather than buying extra $200 packs from Apple and having to shut the whole device down to swap.

There are tons of 20,000mah 30W PD power banks all over Amazon and most are under $50. I think the goal now is to find the one that's closest to ~350g that offers the best bang for the buck and stock up.


Just wanted to share this as we're all figuring out what accessories to buy and how to keep it running in scenarios where you won't be sitting at a desk or on the couch plugged into wall power.

 

[ckorhonen]

According to this analysis[1], the battery is estimated to be in the 30,000-50,000mAh range.

Apple Vision Pro (Part 1) – What Apple Got Right Compared to The Meta Quest Pro

Update June 14, 2023 PM: It turns out that Apple’s news release states, “This technological breakthrough, combined with custom catadioptric lenses that enable incredible sharpness and c…

kguttag.com

 

[fs454]

According to this analysis[1], the battery is estimated to be in the 30,000-50,000mAh range.

Apple Vision Pro (Part 1) – What Apple Got Right Compared to The Meta Quest Pro

Update June 14, 2023 PM: It turns out that Apple’s news release states, “This technological breakthrough, combined with custom catadioptric lenses that enable incredible sharpness and c…

kguttag.com

Pretty sure the battery he's using as the "known" is a 10,000mAh USB-C PD power bank that I own for my Quest 3, which puts his estimate for approximately double that (~20,000mAh) right in line with the above number I arrived at.

Here's the battery: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07XW7ZVKD/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1 note it only does 20W PD. I'm not sure where he's getting 37.5wh and he didn't have the weight way back in the summer when this was written.

I think it's an approx 20,000mah PD pack. Maybe 25,000 at the top end but at 353g inclusive of the aluminum casing I don't think it's possible in terms of energy density to fit more than that in.

 

[Sndman2004]

I went with a few of these, I wanted to go with a known company and I trust Anker products. ~$32/hr of battery seemed more reasonable than apples $100/hr lol

Anker Power Bank, Power IQ 3.0 Portable Charger with PD 30W Max Output (PowerCore 30W), 10,000mAh Battery Pack for iPhone 15/15 Plus/15 Pro/15 Pro Max, MacBook, Dell, Microsoft Surface, and More

The other one I was looking at has the built in usb-c cable for a few dollars more, but I figured I’d save a few bucks and have the flexibility of having a longer cable if needed.

Limited-time deal: Anker Nano Power Bank, 10,000mAh Portable Charger with Built-in USB-C Cable, PD 30W Max Output with 1 USB-C, 1 USB-A, Compatible for iPhone 15/15 Plus/15 Pro/15 Pro Max, MacBook, Galaxy, iPad

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

According to this analysis[1], the battery is estimated to be in the 30,000-50,000mAh range.

Apple Vision Pro (Part 1) – What Apple Got Right Compared to The Meta Quest Pro

Update June 14, 2023 PM: It turns out that Apple’s news release states, “This technological breakthrough, combined with custom catadioptric lenses that enable incredible sharpness and c…

kguttag.com

Don't think it can exceed 27027mAh and be able to be legally carried onto a plane. Since Apple's own promotional videos show it for this use, I speculate part of why it is so physically small is to be UNDER the MAX battery for that purpose. In other words, whatever it is, I suspect it will not exceed 27027mAh.

Maxtech did a pre-launch assumptions & speculation video and touched on this idea of NOT giving Apple $200 for a spare battery when bigger capacity third party batteries already exist and would offer added flexibility to charge other tech too in a pinch. His suggestion was this one.

Looking at THAT one vs. the apparent physical size of Apples, I have to assume the change in relative volume would mean the Apple one is well below 25600mAh. But judging on case size seems towards wildest speculation. It will be good to learn the reality soon.

If it is a fair amount BELOW one like that, I'd likely buy one or two of higher-capacity, third party options as my spare batteries. Hopefully, Apple doesn't play some kind of proprietary game where only batteries from Apple can work.

 

[CodeSpyder]

This guy is on sale on Amazon.

 

[TLewis]

This guy is on sale on Amazon.

Ugh, no thanks. There's probably a decent chance of some Chad or Karen on an airplane reporting you as a possible terrorist for carrying "bomb-like" materials. "It certainly looks like the ones you see in movies." 🤷‍♂️

 

[CodeSpyder]

Ugh, no thanks. There's probably a decent chance of some Chad or Karen on an airplane reporting you as a possible terrorist for carrying "bomb-like" materials. "It certainly looks like the ones you see in movies." 🤷‍♂️

I want something that I can plug into the AVP battery and extend my time beyond the AVP battery's capacity. I want it to be portable. The Shargeek has a lot of good comments, but it has some bad comments too. The Anker one does as well.

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

The Shargeek has a lot of good comments, but it has some bad comments too. The Anker one does as well.

Have you seen Apple fanatic comments about Vpro itself?

There's always at least a few negative comments about just about ANY product. What I usually do is ignore the extremes. For example, on Amazon, take a good look at 2-star for the "bad" and 4-star for the good and ignore the 1s and 5s. I suspect many 5s are purchased and 1s are likely the people who can't be happy if they won the Powerball but then had to drive a few hundred miles to the state office to make the claim.

Much like Vpro, there is a window of time to try either battery and return it if it is not working. Unlike Vpro, if one of these is not working in the not-too-distant future, the very worst case is that you are out something south of $200.

But caution: do any of us know for sure that third party batteries can work with Vpro? It seems likely that third party battery into Vpro battery should work. I wonder if there can be a true substitution (no Vpro battery, but direct connect of bigger third party battery to Vpro)? Or would Apple make the connection Lightning-like proprietary?

 

[Timo_Existencia]

Have you seen Apple fanatic comments about Vpro itself?

There's always at least a few negative comments about just about ANY product. What I usually do is ignore the extremes. For example, on Amazon, take a good look at 2-star for the "bad" and 4-star for the good and ignore the 1s and 5s. I suspect many 5s and purchased and 1s are likely the people who can't be happy if they won the Powerball but then had to drive a few hundred miles to the state office to make the claim.

Much like Vpro, there is a window of time to try either battery backup and return it if it is not working. Unlike Vpro, if one of these is not working in the not-too-distant future, the very worst case is that you are out something south of $200.

But caution: do any of us know for sure that third party batteries can work with Vpro. It seems likely that third party battery into Vpro battery should work. I wonder if there can be a true substitution (no Vpro battery, but direct connect of bigger third party battery)? Or would Apple make the connection Lightning-like proprietary?

Well...above it was pointed out that as long as you're using a 30W PD battery, it mimics the power that a wall is sending. And the connection to the battery is USB C. But yes, it would be nice to get this confirmed.

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

If I'm a Vpro buyer, I buy without extra batteries, and then get this kind of information within the first week or two these are in the wild. If there is something proprietary, I can always buy more Vpro batteries from Apple. And if there is some direct connect option, I put Apple's $200-per price towards what I'm guessing will be greater capacity for less money.

I like what I see in that Shargeek one. Almost 25% less with the ready utility of being used in this way and/or to charge other tech too. I can easily picture maybe 2 of those in the bag with Vpro... IF they can be confirmed to work... and even more so if they can direct connect.

 

[Timo_Existencia]

I've got an extra battery on order (I pick up on Feb. 3). And then I have to jump on a plane back to Guatemala. I'm hopeful I'll know before the 3rd so I can cancel the extra battery and have a 3rd party battery shipped to an Amazon Locker near the Apple Store. Same thing with the case.

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

That can be an amazing trip as one of the very first people to be putting Vpro to that "use it on a long flight" purpose. I hope it is as great as it looks in the promotional videos. That may turn out to be my own PRIMARY use of Vpro, so I'm hoping 4K-per-eye really delivers for that use.

If you end up making yourself the battery guinea pig, I'd love to know how it worked out. And I'd love a first hand, OBJECTIVE review of using Vpro on a flight- especially for work (MB screen thrown to giant Vpro screen). Maybe mark this thread and reply back with your own review of that use???

 

[Timo_Existencia]

That can be an amazing trip as one of the very first people to be putting Vpro to that "use it on a long flight" purpose. I hope it is as great as it looks in the promotional videos. That may turn out to be my own PRIMARY use of Vpro, so I'm hoping 4K-per-eye really delivers for that use.

If you end up making yourself the battery guinea pig, I'd love to know how it worked out. And I'd love a first hand, OBJECTIVE, review of using Vpro on an airplane. Maybe mark this thread and reply back with your own review of that use???

Yeah, I might not be the first on an airplane (I don't fly back to Guatemala until the 5th). But I'll certainly be an early user. I'll definitely be back with a full report.

...I'll likely buy a 3rd party battery even without confirmation since 1) I believe it's highly likely to work and 2) even if it doesn't, then I can use it for my other devices.

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

I'd love to read a REAL review that doesn't pull any punches. My guts say it will be great for that use but I'd welcome the good and the bad. Did it feel too heavy in real use? Did it get sweaty in real use? How did the eyes feel after a long time? Etc.

And yes, by the 5th, you may just have to try it and see with that battery. I'm confident it will plug into the Vpro battery which then plugs into the Vpro... as that should be about the same as plugging into an electric socket. I'm curious to no end if the connection to Vpro itself is standard or proprietary. If standard, I wonder if a direct connection with a higher capacity battery is possible.

In the early days, I had a product from Apple that had only 2 hours battery life. OWC soon had replacement batteries with higher capacities and they worked great vs. the Apple ones. Hopefully the same third party flexibility exists here.

 

[WingingIt]

Yeah, I might not be the first on an airplane (I don't fly back to Guatemala until the 5th).

You snooze you lose - I’m flying on a work trip from DC to LA on the 4th and my Vision Pro will most definitely be in my carry on bag 😁

 

[TLewis]

Well...above it was pointed out that as long as you're using a 30W PD battery, it mimics the power that a wall is sending. And the connection to the battery is USB C. But yes, it would be nice to get this confirmed.

Assuming the battery has a USB C port for charging (and I think we can all agree that it does), connecting a USB battery to that port will almost certainly work. Now, as anything is possible, Apple might have used some weird non-standard "USB C" port for the battery which might prevent charging from a USB battery; however, if Apple did that, the European Union would have Strong Words and More to say to Apple, as that USB port would probably no longer adhere to the EU USB C requirements.

Personally, I'm confident that the VP battery can be charged from a (standards-adhering) USB battery. However, the efficiency is the big question mark (this kind of "charging" has a reputation for being inefficient). For example, let's say the VP battery has a capacity of 20000mAh (we don't know the actual value, but I'm just picking a nice round number as an example). Let's also say I have a 20000mAh USB battery, and that the VP battery is dead. If I use the USB battery to recharge the VP battery, it would not surprise me if the USB battery could only charge the VP battery to, oh, 60-80% before dying. Many people would incorrectly assume that this would get the VP battery to 100%. This is due to battery charging inefficiencies. We normally don't care about this because wall chargers effectively have infinite power. However, once you use a battery -- which has limited power to provide -- efficiency issues pop up.

 

[WingingIt]

Assuming the battery has a USB C port for charging (and I think we can all agree that it does), connecting a USB battery to that port will almost certainly work. Now, as anything is possible, Apple might have used some weird non-standard "USB C" port for the battery which might prevent charging from a USB battery; however, if Apple did that, the European Union would have Strong Words and More to say to Apple, as that USB port would probably no longer adhere to the EU USB C requirements.

Personally, I'm confident that the VP battery can be charged from a (standards-adhering) USB battery. However, the efficiency is the big question mark (this kind of "charging" has a reputation for being inefficient). For example, let's say the VP battery has a capacity of 20000mAh (we don't know the actual value, but I'm just picking a nice round number as an example). Let's also say I have a 20000mAh USB battery, and that the VP battery is dead. If I use the USB battery to recharge the VP battery, it would not surprise me if the USB battery could only charge the VP battery to, oh, 60-80% before dying. Many people would incorrectly assume that this would get the VP battery to 100%. This is due to battery charging inefficiencies. We normally don't care about this because wall chargers effectively have infinite power. However, once you use a battery -- which has limited power to provide -- efficiency issues pop up.

Good point on the inefficiencies!

I got this powerbank which is 20000mAh, so I guess if it turns out the Vision Pro battery is also 20000mAh with the efficiency losses I’d maybe get 3-4 hours total Vision Pro use on a plane.

I‘m sure plenty will say that isn’t good enough for long haul flights, but for me it is enough to take the edge off. On a 10 hour flight I’d maybe watch a movie, read a book for a couple of hours, nap for a couple of hours, eat the in flight meal. If the movie is on the Vision Pro instead of a relatively small iPad screen then that’s an improvement. It doesn‘t need to be available for continuous use for the whole 10 hours because I probably wouldn’t want to use it for literally every minute of the 10 hour flight anyway.

 

[TLewis]

Good point on the inefficiencies!

I got this powerbank which is 20000mAh, so I guess if it turns out the Vision Pro battery is also 20000mAh with the efficiency losses I’d maybe get 3-4 hours total Vision Pro use on a plane.

Yow, 20000mAh for $150?? And it only has a simple bar graph to show charge level? That’s rather expensive, and it only has a 45W output.

Next time, you might want to take a look at Anker. Their high-end 20000mAh battery (they have larger-capacity batteries, although they may be too large to bring on an airplane) can provide 100W output and has a fully-graphical display than can show battery percentage as a number, estimated time remaining, etc.. It’s also currently on sale for under $110. It doesn’t come with a charger, though, and needs a 100W charger for the fastest recharging. A 20W charger will work, but that’s best used for long overnight recharging.

 

[CodeSpyder]

Good point on the inefficiencies!

I got this powerbank which is 20000mAh, so I guess if it turns out the Vision Pro battery is also 20000mAh with the efficiency losses I’d maybe get 3-4 hours total Vision Pro use on a plane.

I‘m sure plenty will say that isn’t good enough for long haul flights, but for me it is enough to take the edge off. On a 10 hour flight I’d maybe watch a movie, read a book for a couple of hours, nap for a couple of hours, eat the in flight meal. If the movie is on the Vision Pro instead of a relatively small iPad screen then that’s an improvement. It doesn‘t need to be available for continuous use for the whole 10 hours because I probably wouldn’t want to use it for literally every minute of the 10 hour flight anyway.

I couldn't find where this powerbank said that it's 20000mAh.

 

[WingingIt]

Yow, 20000mAh for $150?? And it only has a simple bar graph to show charge level? That’s rather expensive, and it only has a 45W output.

Next time, you might want to take a look at Anker. Their high-end 20000mAh battery (they have larger-capacity batteries, although they may be too large to bring on an airplane) can provide 100W output and has a fully-graphical display than can show battery percentage as a number, estimated time remaining, etc.. It’s also currently on sale for under $110. It doesn’t come with a charger, though, and needs a 100W charger for the fastest recharging. A 20W charger will work, but that’s best used for long overnight recharging.

I don’t like the square form factor of that Anker battery for packing in a bag front pocket. I also heard that the screen scratches easily. I don’t care about an exact battery level, use case for this thing will be plug it into Vision Pro battery and run it from 100% to 0%. It also annoys me that most battery packs still come with a USB-A port. I wanted something that is all USB-C. With dual 25W+20W output, I’m thinking I could run a Vision Pro and fast charge my iPhone at the same time. The Vision Pro battery would be getting 25W instead of 30W so may not stay fully charged, but it would at least discharge far more slowly.

And I don’t care about cost. I just spent over $4k on a Vision Pro so I’m not counting spare change here 😄

 

[WingingIt]

I couldn't find where this powerbank said that it's 20000mAh.

They don’t put it on the product page for some reason… but if you google reviews of it they all say it’s 2000mAh

 

[CodeSpyder]

My Shargeek Storm 2 came today. It was at 58% charge. I charged it up, slowly, using an Apple 30W charger. The Max input power to the Shargeek is 100W. I bought a 70W charger to charge it faster.

 

[EyeRiseCardioPhoneMount]

My Shargeek Storm 2 came today. It was at 58% charge. I charged it up, slowly, using an Apple 30W charger. The Max input power to the Shargeek is 100W. I bought a 70W charger to charge it faster.

Seen you post about this in other threads. Why did you choose this over https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09VPHVT2Z?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details&th=1 This power bank is only short by a few mAh and 66% the price. I figure you had a good reason given your EE background

 

[CodeSpyder]

Seen you post about this in other threads. Why did you choose this over https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09VPHVT2Z?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details&th=1 This power bank is only short by a few mAh and 66% the price. I figure you had a good reason given your EE background

Because I didn’t see it. Looks good.