Mark Zuckerberg Has Thoughts on Apple’s New Mixed Reality Headset
Days after Apple unveiled its $3,499 mixed reality headset, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg took a veiled swipe at the company’s pricing and product vision.
Speaking at an all-hands meeting with Meta employees, Zuckerberg contrasted Apple’s demos of a person sitting alone on a couch with Meta’s focus on active engagement through its Quest VR headset line.
He emphasized that Meta’s vision for the metaverse, a virtual world, is fundamentally social. A spokesperson later confirmed the accuracy of his remarks.
Apple’s Vision Pro headset combines virtual reality and augmented reality, presenting a significant hardware offering and putting the company in direct competition with Meta, which dominates the headset market and has heavily invested in VR.
Zuckerberg tried to preempt Apple’s headset announcement by teasing the Meta Quest 3, highlighting its improved performance, mixed-reality features, sleek design, and more affordable price of $499.
During the meeting, Zuckerberg repeatedly emphasized the importance of accessible and affordable pricing for Meta’s products.
He highlighted Apple’s higher costs due to advanced technology, noting the need for a battery and wired connection. The two companies have had a strained relationship, competing in various areas and clashing over issues like data privacy and app store policies.
The rivalry is expected to escalate with Apple’s entry into the market.
Although CNN found Apple’s Vision Pro demo impressive, noting its unique features such as personalized eyeglass prescriptions and a custom processor to reduce latency, the headset is still a work in progress.
Its apps and experiences are limited, users must remain tethered to a battery pack with a short two-hour life, and initial usage can be disorienting. Apple also plans to charge more than other headsets on the market that have struggled to gain widespread adoption.
While some industry observers believe Apple’s hardware expertise may give it an advantage, Zuckerberg expressed excitement and optimism about Meta’s approach.
He believes that what Meta is doing is meaningful and will succeed. In addition to the headset, Zuckerberg discussed Meta’s focus on integrating generative AI into all of its products, highlighting the company’s role in bringing these capabilities to billions of people.
Meta recently announced plans to introduce AI agents with distinct personas and skill sets to Messenger and WhatsApp, with future expansion to other apps, products, and the metaverse.
