Apple’s Vision Pro headset is hiding yet another XL Lightning plug

Metavives February 2, 2024

An image showing a giant Lightning plug on the Vision Pro — Image: iFixit

We thought the 12-pin plug connecting the Vision Pro to its battery pack was the final boss of Lightning cables — but there’s one that’s even bigger. Hiding within the strap on the Vision Pro headset is what I can only call a Mega Lightning plug.

You can see the beefy 10-pin connector in this photo posted by iFixit, which is currently in the process of tearing down the Vision Pro. iFixit has already managed to get the front display off, and I’m looking forward to seeing what else the team might uncover when they post the full teardown over the weekend.

Looks like someone stuck to their New Year’s resolution. This Lightning connector’s been hitting the weights. ️
— #iFixit #AppleVisionPro pic.twitter.com/zvmgj0wi6w

— iFixit (@iFixit) February 2, 2024

This XL cable appears to slot into the side of the headset underneath the Vision Pro’s cushy band. That makes it a bit more inconspicuous than the large Lightning plug discovered yesterday, which you can pop out by sticking a SIM removal tool into the Vision Pro’s battery pack.

A picture of the connector from the Vision Pro battery. It looks like a Lightning connector, only wider and with four extra pins. — *This is the “smaller” Lightning-like connector hiding in the Vision Pro’s external battery pack.*

Last year, Apple ditched its proprietary Lightning cable for USB-C on the iPhone 15 to comply with regulations in the European Union. And now we’ve found not one, but two extra large Lightning cables hiding in the $3,499 Vision Pro — even if they’re not intended for people to actually use.