Days after its release, we got a closer look at the Apple Vision Pro’s internal, thanks to a detailed teardown performed by folks over at iFixit. The teardown showed us everything inside the device, from the triple-layered display to the hardware components that power the device, leaving us with one big question: its overall durability and repairability.
Now, we finally got answers to those questions, courtesy of the well-known YouTuber JerryRigEverything. In a thirteen-minute video, the YouTuber checks the durability of the Apple Vision Pro by scratching the display, putting the headband under a lighter, and pulling out the components of the headset.
Apple Vision Pro Undergoes Durability Test
The test began with a scratch test. Apple Vision Pro’s laminated glass shows scratches at level 3 with deeper grooves at level 4 on the Mohs hardness scale. This suggests that any metal object, such as a key or coin, could easily scratch the front panel of the Apple Vision Pro, leaving a permanent, unrepairable mark.
Next, the headband of Apple’s $3,499 mixed-reality headsets goes under fire via a lighter. The fabric immediately catches fire, putting an ugly burnt hole in the strap. The YouTuber advises not to smoke or sit near a campfire while wearing Apple’s first-generation AR/VR headset.
We then see the YouTuber scratching the body and buttons of Vision Pro, leaving an easily visible mark. Next, we see the inner lenses getting scratched through a razor, suggesting that the glass used to make these lenses is fragile.
After this, the YouTuber performs a bend test by applying pressure on both sides of the Vision Pro, but we don’t see any signs of bending, thanks to the tough aluminum body. Next, we see the YouTuber applying heat to the front of the headset and accessing the interior of the device.
After removing all three layers of the display we learned about in the iFixit teardown and other hardware components, we can finally see the R1 and M2 chips that power the package.
All in all, this durability test suggests that the Vision Pro is fragile, and it would be costly and very difficult or nearly impossible to repair.