Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, recently appeared on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast, where he offered a critique of Apple’s innovation trajectory and ecosystem. He suggested Apple has been coasting on past successes, particularly the iPhone, for the past two decades. Ironically, Meta, formerly known as Facebook, has faced its own challenges in the hardware arena.
Meta’s Foray into the Phone Market
In 2011, Meta partnered with HTC to launch two phones: the ChaCha, a QWERTY phone with a dedicated Facebook button, and the HTC Salsa, a full-screen slab phone also featuring the Facebook button. Both aimed to provide seamless access to Facebook’s social network. However, neither phone achieved significant success due to issues like poor build quality, underwhelming hardware, and subpar camera performance.
In 2013, Meta collaborated with HTC again to develop Facebook Home, a custom Android experience. While praised for its design, the concept of a phone deeply integrated with Facebook didn’t resonate with consumers. This was before Facebook faced widespread scrutiny over its privacy practices. Ultimately, Meta’s attempts to compete in the smartphone market, whether through hardware or software, proved unsuccessful.
Zuckerberg’s Concerns about Apple’s Innovation and Sales
Zuckerberg expressed concern that Apple’s perceived lack of innovation is impacting its sales figures. He argued that incremental improvements between iPhone generations are leading to longer upgrade cycles.
While Apple may have lost some ground to Chinese competitors in terms of cutting-edge smartphone features, its sales figures remain strong across various product categories, including tablets, watches, and computers—areas where Meta hasn’t achieved comparable success. Meta’s most notable hardware achievement, Oculus, came through acquisition rather than internal development. Furthermore, Meta reportedly canceled its smartwatch project in 2022 and discontinued its Portal smart display line.
Platform Restrictions and App Store Fees
Zuckerberg also criticized Apple’s platform restrictions, citing AirPods as an example of how Apple limits third-party integration with iPhones. He also addressed Apple’s 30% App Store fee, characterizing it as a way for Apple to “squeeze” developers. Apple has since relaxed some of these restrictions, including allowing alternative payment methods, in response to antitrust concerns and regulatory pressure, particularly from the European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA).
Recent Changes at Meta
The interview with Rogan comes amidst significant changes at Meta, including the discontinuation of its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs and its independent fact-checking system for Facebook and Instagram. The company has also implemented controversial content moderation changes, raising concerns about the spread of misinformation and hate speech.
In conclusion, while Zuckerberg’s critique of Apple’s innovation may hold some merit, it’s important to acknowledge Meta’s own struggles in the hardware space and its recent controversial decisions. The evolving landscape of the tech industry and the interplay between innovation, competition, and regulation continue to shape the future of both companies.
