CT scans show off the phenomenal design of the Apple Vision Pro
William GallagherCT scan of the Apple Vision Pro
A series of CT scans of the Apple Vision Pro shows how much complexity is in the headset, and how carefully designed it all is to fit together.
Lumafield is now to CT scans what iFixit is to hardware teardowns. After exposing cheap components in fake AirPods and revealing the intricacy of Apple's Thunderbolt 4 cable, Lumafield has now examined the Apple Vision Pro.
This time, however, it has examined a device by directly comparing it to others. Lumafield has taken CT scans of the Apple Vision Pro and of both the Meta Quest 3 and Meta Quest Pro.
"The point of this exploration is not a head-to-head comparison or product review," says the company in a blog post. "Instead, we're unpacking the way the divergent design philosophies and market strategies of Apple and Meta reveal themselves through hardware engineering."
In this line, what the company claims that its scanning revealed is with the Apple Vision Pro, "a product that puts design first." Lumafield says that everything inside Apple's headset "is canted to make the most of the available internal space without detracting from the external contours of the brushed aluminum frame and laminated glass front plate."
Whereas, Meta's headsets show a different set of priorities, and also a different target market. Lumafield ascribes Meta's design philosophy as being one focused on ease of use and aimed at democratizing virtual reality by offering their headset at a more affordable price.
It's a euphemistic way of saying the Meta headsets are cheaper than Apple's one. So where Apple Vision Pro users know the battery is an external one, Lumafield's CT scans show that for the Quest 3, Meta's "approach is simpler, placing its battery front and center on the headset."
Equally, where the Apple Vision Pro has a "compact active cooling solution via micro-blowers," the Meta Quest 3 "simplifies with just one fan." It's the same story with the audio on all of these headsets.
Lumafield concludes that "Meta's two headsets demonstrate a striking economy of means" and "deliver as much as possible using as little as possible." The company describes Meta's "frugal construction" as giving the "best-in-class value of the devices."
For details of what the Apple Vision Pro is like to actually use, read the AppleInsider one-month review.
Marko Zivkovic
Andrew Orr
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8 Comments
Cool!
Looks like The Fallen when Optimus took his face off... anyone?
OK... now that the younger me is tucked safely away (at least for now), I am always fascinated by Apple's relentless attention to the details no one will ever see. It's this kind of thing where you know quality is instilled from the molecular level. No one else comes close. Such perfect alignment and symmetry - especially for a novel product. It's art unto itself.
I guess the CT scan didn't venture further "south" to reveal the glory of the battery dongle - the epitome of Apple design prowess?