In a recent podcast interview with Joe Rogan, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg openly criticized Apple's innovation efforts, particularly targeting the tech giant's Vision Pro headset and its overall approach to product development. He expressed disappointment over the Vision Pro's sales performance in the U.S. and accused Apple of failing to introduce significant innovations since the creation of the iPhone by Steve Jobs. According to Zuckerberg, the slowing upgrade cycle for iPhones is a direct result of a lack of meaningful advancements.
Zuckerberg further argued that Apple's "random rules" are stifling innovation and restricting competition in the tech industry. He cited AirPods as an example of a product that, while innovative, has limited other companies' ability to develop compatible devices. He accused Apple of leveraging these rules to extract more profits from developers, claiming that without these limitations, Meta's profits could potentially double.
"On the one hand, [the iPhone has] been great, because now pretty much everyone in the world has a phone, and that's kind of what enables pretty amazing things."
Zuckerberg defended Meta's virtual headsets, known as Meta Quest, asserting that they offer a promising alternative to Apple's offerings. He called for improvements in Apple's protocol, emphasizing the need for enhanced security and encryption.
"But on the other hand… they have used that platform to put in place a lot of rules that I think feel arbitrary and [I] feel like they haven't really invented anything great in a while. It's like Steve Jobs invented the iPhone, and now they're just kind of sitting on it 20 years later."
He criticized Apple's 30% tax on developers, arguing it is designed to maximize profits rather than protect consumer privacy and security. This approach, he contended, ultimately limits competition.
"You know, they build stuff like Air Pods, which are cool, but they've just thoroughly hamstrung the ability for anyone else to build something that can connect to the iPhone in the same way."
Zuckerberg acknowledged that first iterations of products may not be perfect but stated that Apple's products have seen little improvement over time. He drew a stark comparison between Apple's current state and the innovative era under Steve Jobs.
"It's insecure because you didn't build any security into it. And then now you're using that as a justification for why only your product can connect in an easy way."
Despite these strong remarks, Apple did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment on Zuckerberg's statements.