What you need to order Apple Vision Pro from the Apple Store online
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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Comments
Next Friday is going to be chaos.
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.
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.
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.
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.