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Facebook and WhatsApp CEO Mark Zuckerberg has launched a scathing critique of Apple, fueling rivalry between the tech giants
Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, participated in the popular podcast Joe Rogan Experience in an interview full of statements controversies of the billionaire. Among the topics discussed were his criticisms of Apple, its App Store policies, and the company's lack of significant innovation in recent years.
For the owner of Facebook, the giant is “sitting” about the iPhone legacy and has not presented relevant technological advances.
Mark Zuckerberg – Criticism of Apple and the issue of innovation
Mark Zuckerberg pointed directly to what he considers Apple's stagnation in terms of innovation. According to him, since the launch of the iPhone by Steve Jobs, the company has limited itself to small advances that do not justify the expectations created around its products. He stated:
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"[Apple] has used the [iPhone] to put in place a lot of rules that I think seem arbitrary. I feel like they haven't invented anything really big in a while. It's like Steve Jobs invented the iPhone and now they're just sitting on it 20 years later.. "
Meta's CEO also suggested that iPhone sales may be in decline as the latest models lack innovations that encourage frequent upgrades.
According to Zuckerberg, this would explain Apple's strategy of focusing on 15-30% fees applied to developers in the App Store, something he described as an attempt to "squeeze" more profit out of a stagnant market.
AirPods and Ray-Ban Meta Glasses: Blocking the Competition
Another point raised by Mark Zuckerberg was Apple's behavior in relation to the connectivity and integration of its products.
He noted that AirPods, while popular, were designed in a way that makes it difficult for competitors. According to him, Apple uses a proprietary protocol that prevents other companies from offering devices that connect as easily to the iPhone.
Additionally, Zuckerberg mentioned that Meta faced barriers when trying to integrate its smart glasses Meta Ray Ban to the iPhone.
The protocol needed to facilitate the connection was denied by Apple under the argument of security concerns. Zuckerberg mocked the justification:
"They say they can't allow it because it would be unsafe. But it is unsafe because they themselves have not built security into it. Now they use that as an excuse to justify their monopoly."
This practice, according to Zuckerberg, reflects Apple's stance of limiting external innovation while promoting its own products.
He suggested that if the company were more open, there would be competitors capable of developing superior devices to the AirPods.
The Blue iMessage Bubble – Mark Zuckerberg
Another controversial topic addressed by Mark Zuckerberg was the iMessage, Apple's messaging service, and its strategy of creating blue bubbles for messages sent between iPhone users. For him, this design choice is a form of social exclusion, especially among teenagers.
"The whole thing they did with iMessage, they do this whole blue bubble, green bubble thing. For kids, it's kind of like, they embarrass you, right? They say if you don't have a blue bubble, you're not cool."
This seemingly simple detail has a considerable psychological impact, creating a distinction between Apple users and users of other platforms.
According to Zuckerberg, Apple justifies these choices in the name of security, but the main objective would be to reinforce the dominance of its ecosystem.
RCS and messaging security
During the interview, Rogan and Mark Zuckerberg discussed Apple's support for the RCS (Rich Communication Services) messaging standard.
Despite the company adding support for the protocol in iOS 18, Zuckerberg criticized the fact that the RCS Universal Profile, the standard currently used, does not offer encryption.
He noted that while Apple is working to improve RCS security in partnership with the GSM Association, the current protocol is still not a reliable solution for protecting user privacy.
Vision Pro: praise with reservations
Despite the criticism, Zuckerberg acknowledged that Apple has the ability to launch impactful products. He mentioned the VisionPro, the company's mixed reality headset, as an example of innovation. However, he pointed to the high $3.500 price tag as a problem, comparing the device to Meta's VR headsets, which cost around $300 to $400.
“They sent something for $3.500 that I think is worse than the thing we sent for $300 or $400. So that was clearly not going to work very well.”
Zuckerberg said the Vision Pro is a bold attempt by Apple to tap into a new market, but he believes future versions of the product will have a bigger impact.
He acknowledged that Apple has a history of improving products over time, but believes its initial approach to the Vision Pro is far from revolutionary.
Optimism for the future
Despite the criticism, Zuckerberg expressed optimism that the Apple can be challenged by companies that are more committed to innovation. He reinforced that the Cupertino giant's current pace is not sustainable in the long term:
“I’m optimistic that someone will beat Apple sooner or later. They’re out of the game in terms of not coming out with innovative things.”
