The Imaginative and prescient Professional batteries might be mounted on the pinnacle, sourced from Meta

Apple’s choice to make use of tethered Imaginative and prescient Professional batteries raised some eyebrows when the upcoming product was introduced, and it seems the choice was made to scale back the load of the headset.

Nevertheless, the corporate was involved that the gadget’s front-heavy weight steadiness might trigger neck pressure, and a brand new patent utility from Apple poses a possible answer — which borrows from the Meta Quest headphone accent proven above…

Imaginative and prescient Professional Batteries

When Apple first introduced the Imaginative and prescient Professional in June, it allowed choose media representatives to attempt it out for themselves — together with our personal Likelihood Miller — and flagged the load of the headset as a possible concern when utilizing it for longer periods.

Apple has made two selections to attempt to cut back the issue. First, make the gadget as small as potential, on the expense of not leaving room for glasses. Second, the headset is related to a separate, tethered battery pack — a choice that some felt wasn’t fully in line with the corporate’s minimalist design philosophy.

Nevertheless, Apple was nonetheless involved that the front-heavy heart of gravity may be an issue.

Rear counterweight urged

One potential answer Apple has explored is described in a patent granted final month: including a rear counterweight.

Whereas this may after all enhance the general weight of the headphones, it is going to create a greater weight steadiness.

An enormous a part of the issue is just not the load itself, however the weight distribution. A lot of the expertise – and due to this fact many of the weight – is positioned on the entrance of the headset, pushing down on the entrance. Resisting this stress is a significant supply of neck fatigue.

What the patent suggests is a rear counterweight to create a extra impartial heart of gravity.

Head-mounted battery plate

I observed on the time that I had bought a Meta Quest 2 accent that included a extra snug headband with a further battery mounted on the again.

The entrance heavy weight steadiness meant I all the time felt like my head was being pulled ahead and down. Not considerably, however sufficient that it grew to become annoying after about 30-40 minutes of use.

The Meta has an answer to this downside, within the type of the Quest 2 Elite Strap. This harness is usually extra snug, hugging the again of your head, but it surely additionally features a second battery within the again part. Whereas this makes the whole unit heavier, the extra balanced weight distribution nonetheless improves consolation (in addition to doubling battery life from about two hours to about 4 hours).

What Apple’s newest patent utility describes is actually borrowing this concept from the Meta — however as a substitute of a set battery, there is a battery holder you can connect swappable batteries to.

Apple clearly I noticed it.

Apple’s European patent submitting pertains to a holder that may be hooked up to a assist, equivalent to a headscarf or retaining bar, for a head-mounted gadget (HMD). The disclosed composition solves the basic challenges confronted by standard HMDs by offering no less than the next benefits. First, the stand permits an adjunct, equivalent to an auxiliary battery, to be simply hooked up to the HMD. Secondly, the stand addresses the problem of unbalanced weight distribution that the person experiences whereas sporting the HMD. Third, the rack can embrace a cable administration system or cable organizer that holds the cable or wire, thus eliminating or decreasing slack within the cable.

Picture: Meta