Don’t buy an Apple Vision Pro from scalpers. Here’s why
For the first time in ages, the hottest tech launch of the year won’t be a smartphone. It’ll be a spatial computer. On February 2, Apple will begin selling the Apple Vision Pro to the public via Apple Stores in the U.S. (preorders began on January 19). At $3,499, the headset isn’t cheap, but the device is expected to sell out almost immediately, considering that Apple will have fewer than 100,000 units for sale initially, according to TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
When demand outmatches supply for a tech product, scalpers are emboldened to swoop in and buy up as many of the devices as they can, hoping to flip them with a high markup. And it’s already happening with the Apple Vision Pro.
As of today—a full two weeks before the Apple Vision Pro goes on sale—there are already hundreds of listings for the product on eBay. Scalpers don’t have the devices yet but apparently they plan to be the first in line to get them on February 2 and ship them out that day to people willing to pay $1,000 or more above retail price to get their hands on one. Yet even if you have the cash to spend, buying a Vision Pro from a scalper on eBay is not a great decision for most. Here’s why.
#1 The Vision Pro needs to be fitted for each user
Unlike an iPhone, which can work just fine in almost any-size hands, the Vision Pro headset needs to be matched to fit a user’s unique facial structure. This is so that no outside light can leak into the space between the wearer’s eyes and the Vision Pro’s lenses. If it does, the spatial computing interface can look washed out or out of focus.
Apple ships every Vision Pro with a Light Seal. The Light Seal comes in various shapes and sizes, and you’ll get the one that best matches your face shape by scanning your face at an Apple Store when you buy the device in person. If you order a Vision Pro online, you need to scan your face yourself with an iPhone or iPad using Face ID. Either way, you’re ensured a Light Seal that fits your facial structure.
A scalper who obtains a Vision Pro from Apple’s online store or a retail store won’t be able to provide the unique measurements of your face—only theirs. So the chance that the scalped Vision Pro you buy from eBay will fit your face perfectly isn’t great.
#2 The Vision Pro headbands come in different sizes
It’s not just the Light Seal that needs to be fitted to your face. Each Vision Pro comes with a band that wraps around the back of your head, and another band that you can secure over the top of your head for a more snug fit.
Both of these bands come in different sizes, and the user’s face scan will determine the right one. If the head of the person who obtained the Vision Pro is a different size than yours, the band you get won’t fit you properly.
#3 Your Vision Pro may need custom prescription lenses
Not only does the Vision Pro need to be fitted to your unique facial and head structure, but its lenses may need to be customized to your eyesight. Included with the Vision Pro is a set of default lenses that will work perfectly for anyone with 20/20 vision. However, if you wear glasses, you’re likely going to need either reader or prescription lenses in your Vision Pro. Apple charges $99 extra for reader lenses and $149 extra for prescription lenses. To get the prescription lenses, you must provide a valid prescription from a doctor upon buying the device.
Presumably, scalpers will just buy Vision Pro units with the generic lenses. If your eyesight isn’t 20/20, not only could elements of visionOS—the operating system that powers the Vision Pro—look blurry, the eye-tracking sensors in the Vision Pro may have trouble tracking what your eyes are trying to focus on, preventing the spatial computing interface from working as intended.
Spending $5,000 on a Vision Pro not customized for you is a big risk to take
The Vision Pro isn’t a product that you hold—it’s one you wear. And at $3,499 it’s a very expensive accessory. If the fit isn’t right, and the lenses aren’t customized for your eyes, you’re just spending a lot on a gadget that will probably never work for you as intended.
That’s why it’s best to steer clear of scalpers and wait until you can buy one directly from Apple. Once the initial demand from early adopters is met, you should have no problem going into any Apple Store to grab one for yourself—one that matches your unique specs.
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