Mark Zuckerberg, Chief Executive and Founder, Meta, has voiced his criticisms of Apple’s Vision Pro headset in a company meeting linked to the Meta Quest 3, the Verge reported on Sunday.
In his article, Alex Heath, Deputy Editor, The Verge, unveiled the conversation in his Command Line newsletter. Heath believes the comments come amid pressure from Apple’s entry into immersive hardware.
The author added that Meta’s earned earlier virtual reality (VR) gaming and fitness successes. Currently, Meta “struggled trying to reach the higher end and general computing market that Apple is going after.”
Zuckerberg’s Apple Vision Pro Response
In the Menlo Park-based firm’s first full company-wide meeting since 2020, Zuckerberg stated the headset’s shortcomings.
The report noted that the chief executive noted Apple’s headset did not offer major breakthroughs in technology compared to those Meta had “already explored.”
He told employees,
I’d say the good news is that there’s no kind of magical solutions that they have to any of the constraints on laws of physics that our teams haven’t already explored and thought of. They went with a higher resolution display, and between that and all the technology they put in there to power it, it costs seven times more and now requires so much energy that now you need a battery and a wire attached to it to use it. They made that design trade-off and it might make sense for the cases that they’re going for.
He added that Apple created a “trade-off” with the Vision Pro, stating it would “make sense for the cases that they’re going for.”
Conflicting ‘Visions’ on the Vision Pro, Meta Quest 3
Furthermore, Zuckerberg added that Apple’s ‘vision’ for the Vision Pro was “not the one I want.”
He explained Meta’s vision for immersive technologies,
“I think that their announcement really showcases the difference in the values and the vision that our companies bring to this in a way that I think is really important. We innovate to make sure that our products are as accessible and affordable to everyone as possible, and that is a core part of what we do. And we have sold tens of millions of Quests”
Meta has priced its upcoming Meta Quest 3 to reach a larger consumer base. Currently, the former costs a massive $3,499, while Meta will price the latter at $499.
Zuckerberg told employees, as quoted by The Verge,
“I think that their announcement really showcases the difference in the values and the vision that our companies bring to this in a way that I think is really important. [The Quest is about] people interacting in new ways and feeling closer [and] about being active and doing things.”
The exec added that Apple’s announcement “really showcases the difference in the values and the vision” of Meta’s immersive technologies.
Zuckerberg added that Meta shared a “fundamentally social” vision for the Metaverse and spatial presence.
He added: “By contrast, every demo that they showed was a person sitting on a couch by themself. I mean, that could be the vision of the future of computing, but like, it’s not the one that I want.”
The Meta chief executive said there is a “real philosophical difference” in his firm’s approach.
Zuckerberg concluded:
“Seeing what they put out there and how they’re going to compete just made me even more excited and in a lot of ways optimistic that what we’re doing matters and is going to succeed. But it’s going to be a fun journey”
The news comes after Zuckerberg announced Meta would reveal the Meta Quest 3 days ahead of the Apple Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC). The June event has triggered mixed reviews on the mixed reality (MR) device due it its price tag and proprietary technological approach. Many in the tech community have praised it as a cutting-edge device with the potential to change the immersive hardware game.
Analysis on Zuckerberg Comments
Demond Cureton, Senior Journalist, XR Today, analysing comments made by Zuckerberg after the All-Hands meeting in Menlo Park, California.
Zuckerberg’s bold statements actively target Apple’s Vision Pro hype, which centres on much of the use cases from the premium device.
I offered analyses this month on Apple’s Vision Pro, specifically its pricing, functionality, and viability for future use cases. Still, the headset will need to engage with the global XR community to ensure long-term success. Interoperability will also affect the Cupertino-based firm’s future profitability for the device.
I personally share some of Zuckerberg’s comments on Apple’s Vision Pro. I believe Apple’s headsets is an amazingly crafted device with great potential. However, the true test will come from real-world use cases along with durability testing, enterprise applications, and, most importantly, pricing.
Pragmatism is the Key to Profitability
The XR industry needs to look at the immersive market from a pragmatic, cost-effective, and most importantly, empirical perspective. This is crucial to adoption rates for the Vision Pro and, more or less, the upcoming Meta Quest 3.
For example, Meta successfully deployed over 60,000 devices with Accenture due to the Quest 2’s unrivalled pricing. It’s simply much cheaper to deploy 60,000 headsets at $299 per unit than at $3,499 a pop. This will leave Apple with a much more niche target market to test and develop the Vision Pro.
Furthermore, if Apple refuses to share technologies with the global XR ecosystem, it will find itself isolated. Interoperability is the most crucial aspect to developing immersive technologies, especially at the consumer level.
According to Statcounter research, Apple’s operating system share of the global market, for macOS and iOS in May 2023, stood at only 8.74 percent and 16.9 percent, respectively. This compares to Android and Windows-based devices at 34.98 percent and 29.27 percent, respectively.
This could forecast that, at current levels, Apple OS adoption rates for the Vision Pro could trail other devices, even at their peak. Also, although Apple’s valuation is higher than any other tech firm at $2.86 trillion USD, this may not equate to developing immersive technologies for a consumer market. The Vision Pro is still an emerging technology, unlike MacBooks, iPads, and iPhones which have propelled the company to success.
The Challenges of an Open Metaverse
Currently, the Meta Quest headsets lineup employs an operating system with source code from the Android Open Source Project (AOSP). This is key to expediting interoperability with other Android-based developers.
In reality, Zuckerberg realises the social media metaverse will take much longer to develop. This is a very pivotal issue as Zuckerberg unveils the Meta Quest 3 in the company’s Connect event in September.
However, the executive continues to use the mantra of social metaverses, which plays into his long-term vision of the spatial communications platform. The problem is in overcoming the short-term realities while reaching long-term dreams.
XR Today will continue to monitor adoption rates for both devices as their respective manufacturers release them in the market. Personally, I have seen idealism meet critical obstacles in its execution, which the global media routinely highlighted in commentary about Meta’s metaverse endeavours. Apple could potentially face its own Meta moment, with the media turning its back on the long-celebrated device as it encounters hurdles in the 3D.
The views in this analysis piece are solely those of the author and do not reflect the XR Today brand, its partners, or affiliates.
