iFixit teardown reveals Apple Vision Pro headset's internals
What's the story
The team at iFixit, known for their DIY repair expertise, has given us an unauthorized glimpse into the inner workings of Apple's mixed reality headset, the Vision Pro.
Their teardown video reveals details about the device's weight, components, and possible repair expenses.
This comes on the heels of recent discoveries of hidden features, such as two distinct Lightning-esque connectors.
Goods
Disassembly process and EyeSight technology
During the disassembly process, iFixit disconnected the Lightning connectors for the battery cable and strap arms.
This was followed by typical Apple hardware disassembly procedures like using a heat gun, prying, and removing screws, and brackets.
Their blog post delves into EyeSight technology, which they describe as "a bunch of videos of your eyes."
This starts with an OLED panel displaying "multiple face images" that are split and passed through lenticular layers and a secondary lens to create 3D effect.
Twitter Post
A look at the breakdown of components
The Vision Pro's EyeSight seems like a repair Achilles’ heel—so many points of failure for a slightly creepy feature. In part one of our teardown, we took a look at how its three-layer display creates that uncanny 3D-ish video of the wearer’s eyes. https://t.co/RqWadVbN9U pic.twitter.com/uYONTB6WMF
— iFixit (@iFixit) February 3, 2024
Problems
External display issues
The combination of EyeSight components leads to a blurry, dim image on Vision Pro's external display, which has been criticized by reviewers for making it hard to see the eyes.
iFixit CEO Kyle Wiens tweeted a photo of the Apple Vision Pro without its outer layers, exposing the sensors and cameras mounted around the exterior.
iFixit intends to release more videos on the headset, and promised to show "just how deep this rabbit hole goes."
Twitter Post
Here's how Vision Pro looks sans outer layers
This teardown is getting WILD. pic.twitter.com/OAuOQGhJqr
— Kyle Wiens (@kwiens) February 2, 2024