Picture the scene: You’ve enjoyed spending the day experimenting with mixed reality with Apple‘s Vision Pro headset. When the night is over, gently store the Vision Pro, making sure to keep the soft front cover and battery pack connected. However, as you put on the $3,500 headset to start a new workday, you notice an issue: a little crack has appeared on the front cover glass.
A few postings on Reddit indicate that at least a few individuals have had that issue. Although the exact number of units impacted is unknown, AppleInsider, the source of the initial information on the flaws, indicates that not many have been impacted.
The cause of the problem is not yet known. But the similar appearance of the cracks and apparently small number of impacted units suggests that it’s down to a manufacturing flaw.
If Apple doesn’t officially recognize the issue as a manufacturing defect, it may not cover the crack under the device’s warranty. That’s reportedly been the case for some of the affected users. As such, they’re been put on the hook for $300 to repair the cover glass if they have AppleCare coverage. Otherwise, the cost is a stinging $800.
As MacRumors notes, Apple often offers special repair programs for recognized hardware issues, but that’s only likely to happen if there are enough reports to warrant the company fully investigating the matter and identifying a common problem. Still, this gives more credence to the maxim that maybe you shouldn’t buy a first-generation Apple product.
This isn’t the first time an Apple device has been susceptible to scratches in its first generation. Many users of the first iPod nano found that it scratched very easily. A lawsuit ensued, and Apple agreed to pay a $22.5 million settlement.
