What you need to order Apple Vision Pro from the Apple Store online

AppleInsider

Apple has revealed what buyers will need to do -- and to have ready -- when they order an Apple Vision Pro.

It's already been revealed that Vision Pro buyers will have to have their faces scanned in order to determine the correct size. Now Apple has begun telling potential buyers specifically what they will need when ordering from the online Apple Store when preorders begin on January 19, 2024.

In an email being sent out to users, Apple is telling users to update their Apple Store app now. This was updated worldwide on January 11, 2024, though outside the US the update says only that it includes various improvements and performance enhancements.

Apple next says that users will need to have a device ready to take their Face ID scan during ordering. The company goes further about it being to do with sizes, and says that it is for the size of the Light Seal and also the head band.

Prescription lenses

The most-awaited detail about the ordering process has concerned what users who need prescription lenses will have to do. Apple has now said that the process starts during ordering where the Apple Store app will ask a series of questions.

If it's determined that a user needs optical inserts, otherwise known as prescription lenses, then they will have to have a prescription. It will have to be valid, from a US eye-care practitioner, and Apple will ask users to upload a copy after checkout.

There is of course no way to try out the Apple Vision Pro when solely ordering online. However, Apple's email also repeats the recent information that Apple Stores will be opening early on February 2, 2024, and Vision Pro will be being demonstrated.

It doesn't appear that users will need an appointment for the demonstration, but that means there is likely to be high demand for what may be only a few example headsets to try. February 2 is also a week after pre-orders start, but it is the same day that Vision Pro will be generally available.



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bloggerblog

For the prescription glasses, I assume you'd need to order a different prescription if you wear progressives.

blurpbleepbloop

What you need to order Apple Vision Pro from Apple Store online? A healthy bank account and quite a bit of optimism.

Appleish

bloggerblog said:

For the prescription glasses, I assume you'd need to order a different prescription if you wear progressives.

Outside of Apple, absolutely nobody knows exactly what "a prescription" means. I have one prescription for my regular glasses, one for reading glasses I use with my Mac, and to top off the mystery, my vision is perfect up to around 12 inches. I read books, my iPhone, and other things in my hand with no glasses. Do I even need a prescription? I chatted with an agent at Apple and they concluded: "Just have to wait and see how it works when pre orders start next Friday!" 

Next Friday is going to be chaos.

beowulfschmidt

bloggerblog said:

For the prescription glasses, I assume you'd need to order a different prescription if you wear progressives.

My progressive prescription has two sets of values, one for the "main" prescription, and one for the reading prescription (I assume there is some algorithm to produce the gradient), but I expect most people are going to want the "main", possibly modified by some factor having to do with the distance actually being focused, as opposed to the apparent distance.  My eye doctor explained it to me once, but I'm not sure I understood everything he said.

Superb

February 2 is also a week after pre-orders start, but it is the same day that Vision Pro will be generally available

February 2 is two weeks from the January 19 pre-order date, not one as stated at the close of the article. 

robin huber

Knowing whether AI headsets use reading or distance would be helpful. Videos show people looking at things in the (virtual) distance, but in reality the screen is inches from your eyes. So which is it?

eriamjh

beowulfschmidt said:

bloggerblog said:

For the prescription glasses, I assume you'd need to order a different prescription if you wear progressives.

My progressive prescription has two sets of values, one for the "main" prescription, and one for the reading prescription (I assume there is some algorithm to produce the gradient), but I expect most people are going to want the "main", possibly modified by some factor having to do with the distance actually being focused, as opposed to the apparent distance.  My eye doctor explained it to me once, but I'm not sure I understood everything he said.

Not an optometrist, but I’ve worn glasses and contacts all my life.    You won’t use the “main” (or distance) prescription for VP.  You’ll be getting the “near” prescription since the focusing surface of the display will be up close.   There will be no “progressive” prescription, bifocal, or trifocal for VP.   There will be only one and it will be up close or near, essentially “readers”.   

I can’t focus on objects closer than 15cm from my eyes because I have, like most over 40, Presbyopia.   Your eyeballs harden/lose elasticity as you age, and your eye muscles that pull on your eyeballs to adjust focus can’t distort your eyes to focus closely.   Simple lenses correct this, but only for close vision.   There is no near or far in VP because the image is on a display, not 20cm or 100m from your face.   It’s all up close.  

That’s all you’ll need for VP.    It’s not rocket science.    

kkqd1337

You didn’t mention the $3.5k you need.

mikethemartian

How are they accommodating for pupillary distance? That is something that the optician usually measures themselves when you purchase glasses. Does the optometrist usually include that in the Rx?

eriamjh

We’ll find out.  

macxpress

kkqd1337 said:

You didn’t mention the $3.5k you need.

Maybe so but I guarantee you Apple Vision Pro will sell out fairly fast, even with the $3500 price tag. 

That being said, I have a feeling this is going to be a complete shitshow when it comes out. People are going to get frustrated to hell with the pre-requirements before ordering and on top of that you know Apple's servers are going to be banged on very hard which already makes pre-ordering anything frustrating. People are going to be lighting up social media and forums about how they couldn't get their order in and how Apple failed us again, blah, blah, blah. 

glnf

All VR Goggles (and also for sure Apple Vision Pro) have an optical system that moves the focal plane to the distance. This allows for the most comfortable use and is in line with most visual contents that are in the far to mid distance. You will still be able to read a „book“ though (even when you have to use reading glasses in real life), but in terms of focal distance the book will still appear far and therefore on a different plane than visually simulated by the parallax. That is an unusual misalignment for the eyes but usually not a problem. So you can just pass your basic prescription (without any addition for bifocals) to Apple. 

applesnoranges

Great article. Great thread 

jwdawso

I think the answer to which prescription Apple has actually answered. There are 2 types of inserts - Readers and Optical Inserts. Optical Inserts are reading glasses that you get from your optician after an eye exam. Readers are what you pick up at Walmart that have standard “power” magnification. So for people like me who need a specific prescription for reading, we’ll get the $149 Optical Inserts with a reading prescription.  That’s my impression.  Hopefully we’ll know all the details soon. 

dewme

eriamjh said:

beowulfschmidt said:

bloggerblog said:

For the prescription glasses, I assume you'd need to order a different prescription if you wear progressives.

My progressive prescription has two sets of values, one for the "main" prescription, and one for the reading prescription (I assume there is some algorithm to produce the gradient), but I expect most people are going to want the "main", possibly modified by some factor having to do with the distance actually being focused, as opposed to the apparent distance.  My eye doctor explained it to me once, but I'm not sure I understood everything he said.

Your eyeballs natural lenses harden/lose elasticity as you age, and your eye muscles that pull on your eyeballs natural lenses to adjust focus can’t distort your eyes natural lens to focus closely.   Simple artificial lenses in eyeglasses and contacts correct this, but only for close vision. If you've had cataract surgery, because your natural lens (or lenses) are cloudy or damaged, the natural lens/lenses are replaced with implanted intraocular lenses. The implanted intraocular lenses may be monofocal, multifocal, and/or toric (astigmatism corrected). In some cases people chose to have different intraocular lens prescriptions implanted in each eye, one being for near vision correction and the other being for far vision correction with an expectation that the brain will automatically resolve the differences in focus to provide what is called monovision. 

There is no near or far in VP because the image is on a display, not 20cm or 100m from your face.   It’s all up close.  

That’s all you’ll need for VP.    It’s not rocket science.    

Added a little more detail because some folks like myself are in the post cataract surgery camp. I agree this is not rocket science, at least not within the realm of vision correction in an ophthalmologist's office. Whether it's something that can be easily done within the confines of a noisy and crowded Apple Store or online ordering process is yet to be determined. However, I am very optimistic that Apple has done everything necessary to ensure that the vast majority of their (sighted) customers will be able to purchase exactly the AVP they want with very minimal to no friction, just like any other Apple product. 

With that said, I still don't know for sure in advance what type of correction I would need until I test drive the Vision Pro. When I tried Meta's latest headset I didn't need any correction at all, but when I use my MacBook Air with an external 32" 4K monitor at arm's length I need +2.00 reading glasses. When I use my Mac Studio with a 5K monitor at little closer to my eyes I use +2.50 reading glasses. I think the right answer will come very quickly for nearly everyone once they strap a Vision Pro on their head and try different lenses. People with complex vision anomalies will obviously require more fine tuning to get everything working exactly correctly for their needs.

dewme

glnf said:

All VR Goggles (and also for sure Apple Vision Pro) have an optical system that moves the focal plane to the distance. This allows for the most comfortable use and is in line with most visual contents that are in the far to mid distance. You will still be able to read a „book“ though (even when you have to use reading glasses in real life), but in terms of focal distance the book will still appear far and therefore on a different plane than visually simulated by the parallax. That is an unusual misalignment for the eyes but usually not a problem. So you can just pass your basic prescription (without any addition for bifocals) to Apple. 

This clearly explains why I didn’t have any issues with the Meta headset I tried without any eyeglasses. Prior to having presbyopia I was near sighted and needed correction only for far vision. When presbyopia set in I also needed correction for near vision. Post cataract surgery I have monofocal lens implants that provide far vision correction only, so I only need reading glasses for near vision. If the Vision Pro is designed for far distance I should not need any correction. But as I said, seeing with the VP mounted on my face will be the point of believing. 

reviloa

"Apple next says that users will need to have a device ready to take their Face ID scan during ordering. The company goes further about it being to do with sizes, and says that it is for the size of the Light Seal and also the head band."

With needing to provide sizes ahead of ordering for both the Light Seal and Headband, one can presume the Vision Pro will not be adjustable enough to fit a second user without ordering extra sizes = additional costs.