Apple fans, look away now as this YouTuber puts the Vision Pro through an excruciating harshness test.
And if you’re thinking about spending $3,500 (£2,786) on the headphones, their findings might make you reconsider.
YouTuber JerryRigEverything, real name Zack Nelson, tested Apple’s latest creation to the point of destroying it in a ‘scratch test’.
The painful images reveal that the external screen is not glass, but is actually a laminated glass that scratches easily.
Nelson warns: “Any key, coin or metal object that comes into contact with the Apple Vision Pro will leave a permanent, irreparable mark.”
YouTuber JerryRigEverything put the Apple Vision Pro through a destructive scratch test, revealing that the outer shell is a layer of plastic that scratches easily.
The Apple Vision Pro, Apple’s first virtual reality headset, launched in US stores last Friday.
Reviews have praised the headphones’ technology and immersive experience, but with a eye-watering price tag of $3,500 (£2,786), many are wondering if it’s worth the price.
In his own review video, Nelson says that the Vision Pro’s impressive technology is no match for its build quality.
Apple’s website says the front of the headphones is made of “a singular piece of three-dimensionally formed laminated glass.”
However, this shocking video reveals that the headphones are not as durable as they might seem.
The images show Mr Nelson subjecting the front screen to a scratch test commonly used to test the hardness of minerals.
The video warns that any metal object such as keys or coins that comes into contact with the Apple Vision Pro will easily leave a deep and irreparable scratch
The headphones use laminated layers of plastic and glass. By placing the plastic on the outside, the headphones become more resistant to cracking when dropped, but are more likely to get scratched.
Nelson takes spikes made of different materials and scrapes them across the screen to see how hard it is to scratch.
On the Mohs hardness scale, a measure of something’s resistance to scratching, glass typically scratches between 5.5 and 6.
But during testing, the Vision Pro starts to scratch at level 3 and is deeply marked at level 4.
This makes the outer screen as hard as a copper coin, meaning it is much more likely to be plastic than glass.
In the video, Nelson says he was so shocked by the test results that he had to repeat the experiment and even thought he might have left a screen protector on the product.
“But there is no screen protector, this anti-scratch plastic is permanently attached to the unit,” he says.
To emphasize his point, Nelson takes a Stanley knife and begins to painfully tear at the outer surface, leaving deep cuts in the surface.
However, Nelson notes that having the plastic laminate on the outside makes the headphones more resistant to drops.
It says: “The glass is much less likely to break if the laminate is on the outside; the plastic will absorb most impacts without the glass breaking.”
“But the plastic on the outside means it will get scratched more easily, and if those scratches appear on one of the many cameras or sensors on the outside, they’ll really ruin your view of the world.”
Reviewers praised the Vision Pro for its immersive experience, and people who tested the headphones in Apple stores (pictured) were surprised by the design. But at $3,500, easily damaged headphones are an expensive problem.
More worryingly, the review also found that the interior lenses (pictured) are so soft that wiping them with a paper towel or napkin could permanently scratch them and ruin the screen.
Apple offers repair services for the Apple Vision Pro, but replacing the front screen costs $799.
The price drops to $299 if you pay $500 for AppleCare+.
But, as Nelson points out, this brings the total price to $799, which is exactly the same as without AppleCare.
Most worryingly, the Apple Vision Pro’s interior lenses, through which the user sees the built-in display, also appear to be made of plastic.
The video shows Mr. Nelson easily carving deep grooves into the lenses, permanently damaging the screen.
These lenses are so delicate that Nelson warns that users should be very careful when cleaning the headphones.
He says: “I cannot emphasize how important it is not to clean or rub the inner plastic lenses of the Apple Vision Pro with paper towels, tissues or napkins, as all of these paper products have wood fibers that will completely and permanently ruin the plastic. lenses.’
The reviewer says the headband was extremely soft and comfortable, but found it to be quite flammable and advised against using the headphones near open flames.
The Vision Pro ships with two different headband styles: a stretchy wool Solo Knit Band headband and an adjustable Dual Loop Band headband for a more precise fit.
Nelson says he was very impressed by the comfort of the Solo Knit headband that arrived with the headphones, saying it “feels like it was knitted with the love of a thousand grandmothers.”
However, their video reveals a shocking potential problem with this headband.
Not yet finished with his destructive tests, Mr. Nelson holds the flame of a lighter to the headband of the Vision Pro, which quickly ignites and burns with a strong flame.
Nelson says, “I highly recommend not smoking anything or staying near a campfire while wearing the Apple Vision Pro.”
MailOnline has contacted Apple for comment.