Much has been written and commented about Apple Vision Pro battery life. This apparently pressing issue—to some—seems to be skewing negative on social media. I’ve already written on the topic myself, but I wanted to provide a brief article on the topic that’s easy to digest and that is now informed by two weeks of use.
First, here’s Apple’s official description of the Apple Vision Pro Battery:
“The high-performance Apple Vision Pro Battery is made out of smooth, machined aluminum and connects to your Apple Vision Pro using a woven USB-C cable. It can slip into your pocket for portable power and supports up to two hours of general use, 2.5 hours of video playback, and all-day use when plugged in.” (Apple, 2024)
The negative reviews sometimes appear in the “cons” section at the beginning of articles in addition to within commentary. For example:
PCMag: “Short battery life” (Greenwald, 2024).
Other discussions included, for example, in the Wall Street Journal: “...its battery life sucks...” (Stern, 2024), and on MKBHD Marques Brownlee said, “...the battery life is meh.” (Brownlee, 2024). The PCMag article expands on its negative review: “Battery life remains the biggest weak point for standalone AR/VR headsets across the board, and the Vision Pro is no different” (Greenwald, 2024).
However, I have also read plenty of reviews that do not mention battery life as a problem. Here are a few:
- “I’ve consistently gotten 3 full hours of battery life using Vision Pro on a full charge. Sometimes a little more. In my experience, Apple’s stated 2–2.5 hour battery life is a floor, not a ceiling” (Gruber, 2024).
- Joe Rossignol of MacRumors writes about Brian Tong’s video: “the Vision Pro may last up to 30 minutes longer per charge than Apple's advertised battery life claims, but results will vary.”
- And finally, my all-time favorite tech reviewer David Pogue mentions, “[the battery] powers the headset for about two hours. You can also plug the battery into the wall, in which case the headset runs forever.”
So why the disparity? My guess is preconceived expectations.
If a reviewer for some reason assumed that the Apple Vision Pro was a device that one wears all the time to experience some kind of Augmented Reality World of Tomorrow, I suspect the 2–3 hour battery life is seen as a negative. My experience with the Apple Vision Pro is that I am quite content to use it for a few hours at a time, mostly in a single position while plugged in to power—occasionally moving around for a few minutes at a time and/or to interact with an immersive experience on the device.
As Wes Hilliard first mentioned in one of the AppleInsider podcasts, I suppose if I wanted more portable power, I could plug the Apple Vision Pro battery into one of my portable, pocket-sized batteries that I use to power my iPhone and iPad. So far I have neither needed, nor wanted, to do this.
In writing this article, I did find some interesting battery information to pass along:
Apple Vision Pro Power/Battery Information
This information is adapted from Apple Support (2024).
Meaning of the Light on the Battery
While Plugged In
- Green for several seconds: Battery fully charged.
- Amber for several seconds: Battery is less than 100%, but can power the device.
- Amber pulsing slowly: Battery charge is too low to power the device.
While NOT Plugged In
- Green for several seconds: Battery is 50% or higher.
- Amber for several seconds: Battery is between 5% and 49%.
- Amber pulsing slowly: Battery charge is too low to power the device.
See the Battery Level
- Put on the Apple Vision Pro.
- Open Control Center.
- Look in the top-right corner.
You may also consult Apple’s article, Apple Vision Pro Battery and Performance.
References
Apple Support. (February 13, 2024). Connect and charge Apple Vision Pro battery. Retrieved from https://support.apple.com/en-us/117740
Apple. (2024). Apple Vision Pro Battery. Retrieved from www.apple.com/shop/product/MW283LL/A/apple-vision-pro-battery
Brownlee, M. (February 3, 2024). Apple Vision Pro Review: Tomorrow's Ideas... Today's Tech! [Video]. Retrieved from www.youtube.com/watch?v=86Gy035z_KA
Greenwald, W. (February 9, 2024). Apple Vision Pro Review: An incredible leap in AR and VR interactivity. Retrieved from www.pcmag.com/reviews/apple-vision-pro
Gruber, J. (January 30, 2024). The Vision Pro. Retrieved from https://daringfireball.net/2024/01/the_vision_pro
Hilliard, W. (February 8, 2024). Apple Vision Pro early review: a peek into the future of computing. AppleInsider. Retrieved from https://appleinsider.com/articles/24/02/08/apple-vision-pro-early-review-a-peek-into-the-future-of-computing
Pogue, D. (February 11, 2024). Apple’s Vision Pro Isn’t for Everyone — But It’s Still a Home Run. New York Magazine. Retrieved from https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/david-pogue-reviews-apple-vision-pro.html#
Rossignol, J. (January 30, 2024). Vision Pro Reviews: Surprising Battery Life, 'Weird' Personas, and More. Retrieved from www.macrumors.com/2024/01/30/apple-vision-pro-review-highlights/
Stern, J. (January 30, 2024). Apple Vision Pro Review: The Best Headset Yet Is Just a Glimpse of the Future. Wall Street Journal. Retrieved from https://apple.news/ALd4RY3b9Q0umjnCH4Srw9A
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