In the world of technology, rivalries often drive progress and define consumer trends.
Companies constantly compete to set new standards, introduce groundbreaking products, and maintain their edge in the market.
The ongoing competition between Apple and Meta is a prime example of this dynamic, touching on issues of privacy, hardware ecosystems, and user choice.
Meta’s CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, recently shared sharp criticisms of Apple during an appearance on Joe Rogan’s podcast.
Unnecessary Restrictions
He challenged Apple’s business model and questioned whether the company has continued to innovate at the pace expected of an industry leader.
A significant part of Zuckerberg’s comments focused on Apple’s App Store policies, particularly the fees charged to developers, ranging from 15–30%, according to El Economista.
He described these charges as a burden on smaller businesses while suggesting that Apple is increasingly dependent on developer revenues due to slowing iPhone sales.
According to Zuckerberg, fewer consumers are upgrading their devices because the incremental updates fail to deliver meaningful improvements.
Zuckerberg also took aim at Apple’s approach to maintaining an exclusive ecosystem, using AirPods as an example.
He argued that Apple creates unnecessary restrictions, making it harder for competitors, like Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses, to integrate with its products.
He claimed that Apple’s reasoning, often tied to user privacy, is a way to sustain its control over its hardware and software environment.
The conversation included Apple’s messaging platform, iMessage, which Zuckerberg described as a tool for social pressure.
He suggested that features such as the difference between “blue” and “green” bubbles alienate users of non-Apple devices, especially younger demographics, by making them feel excluded.
Finally, Zuckerberg addressed Apple’s Vision Pro, an augmented reality headset priced at $3,500.
While acknowledging the product’s technological advancements, he asserted that Meta’s offerings, like the Quest series, provide similar benefits at a much lower price point.
