A peculiar issue has arisen amongst Vision Pro owners as of late – mysterious cracks seem to be spontaneously appearing on the front glass of their expensive augmented reality headsets. First spotted by tech blog MacRumors earlier this week, Redditors on the r/VisionPro subreddit have since been posting about near-identical vertical fissures manifesting above the bridge of their devices’ nose pads.

The various uploaded pictures show hairline cracks in the exact same spot, almost as if an invisible fault line has revealed itself amongst the early adopter community. Making matters more confusing is that none of the affected users can definitively pinpoint a cause. Redditor @dornbirn explained that they had gently polished the glass, wrapped the Vision Pro in its included soft cover, tucked it in its carrying case, and went to bed…only to find a crack there the following morning.

Similar stories abound from other unlucky owners. Some had placed their Vision Pros in cases or protective covers before the cracks appeared. Others don’t recall any drops or improper storage whatsoever. The consistent lack of damage culprits suggests two main possibilities according to internet speculation:

The first theory posits internal heating issues while charging in cases or wrapped in covers. The second contends a potential structural flaw or tension build-up around the front glass that manifests over time. Neither paints a positive picture regarding the Vision Pro’s durability.

At the moment the hairline cracks seem largely cosmetic in nature. They appear above – and not directly over – some of the device’s onboard sensors. None of the cameras or AR functionality appears inhibited…for now. Still, with AppleCare+ costing $500 on top of the Vision Pro’s $3,499 sticker price, replacement fees prove steep. A cracked cover glass carries a $299 deductible with coverage, and an eye-watering $799 without.

Early adopter @ContributionFar8997 claims an Apple Genius informed them a deductible must be paid for any official repair. With cracked Vision Pros isolated to Reddit, it’s impossible to say whether this is a limited issue or an early harbinger of wider problems. For now, the mysterious cracks remain an intriguing tech mystery among early adopters. Apple has yet to publicly comment.