Attaching ZEISS Optical Inserts to Apple Vision Pro requires pairing

Apple has partnered with ZEISS to provide corrective lenses made specifically for Vision Pro, and customers can buy these optical inserts directly from Apple when ordering a Vision Pro. However, what some people may not know is that the device requires some kind of special pairing process to work with the ZEISS Optical Inserts.

Pairing ZEISS lenses to the Apple Vision Pro

As shared by M1Astra on X, the pair of ZEISS Optical Inserts comes with a “personal code” to pair the lenses to the Apple Vision Pro. After attaching the optical inserts magnetically to the headset, users will have to “scan the pairing code on the card inside ZEISS Optical Inserts box to finalize the pairing process.”

The code in question appears to be an App Clip code that triggers a system action to pair the ZEISS lenses to the Apple Vision Pro. It’s unclear at this point what exactly this pairing process does and what it verifies.

Perhaps it will guide users through another eye-tracking calibration process. However, M1Astra also found information about each ZEISS lens having an “individual serial number” that can be found on the inner side of the mount. This raised questions about Apple verifying the authenticity of the lenses for Vision Pro.

Apple has been very strict when it comes to Vision Pro corrective lenses. For instance, the company requires customers to upload a valid prescription issued by a certified ophthalmologist in the U.S. This doesn’t come as a surprise since getting the wrong or poor quality lenses can end up hurting the wearer’s eyes.

However, this could also mean that the device won’t work at all with any lenses from third-party manufacturers (not that there are any available today).

• Apple Vision Pro: EyeSight, comfort, and more impressions from my latest demo

More about Vision Pro

The first Apple Vision Pro units are expected to be delivered to customers on February 2, the same day the device will be available in Apple Retail Stores in the U.S. Prices start at $3,499 for the version with 256GB of storage.

• First Apple Vision Pro pre-orders now shipping to buyers for February 2 launch
• Vision Pro sales estimated at 160k to 180k over first three days
• Apple reveals Vision Pro’s weight for the first time: Here’s how it compares
• Vision Pro replacement/repair costs up to $2,399 without AppleCare

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