Zuckerberg-Slams

Zuckerberg Says Apple Hasn't Invented Anything Great in 20 Years, Takes Jabs at Vision Pro

 

In a recent appearance on the "Joe Rogan Experience" podcast, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg criticized Apple for what he described as a lack of innovation and “random rules” that have hindered the tech giant’s growth in recent years. He singled out Apple for not coming up with any game-changing inventions since the iPhone's launch 20 years ago. Zuckerberg says that Apple’s current strategy is a long way from the wise leadership of Steve Jobs, the man credited for turning the smartphone industry upside down.

Zuckerberg remarked, “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. 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.” He further added that Apple had not introduced any major new innovations in the past 20 years.

 

Lack of iPhone Upgrades Significant Enough Struggling iPhone Sales

 

Zuckerberg also voiced doubt on the future of the iPhone, saying that sales have been dwindling as people refuse to upgrade to newer models. Zuckerberg also says longer upgrade cycles have occurred since recent iPhone iterations haven't offered significant improvements.

He explained, "So how are they making more money as a company? Well, they do it by basically, like, squeezing people, and, like you’re saying, having this 30% tax on developers by getting you to buy more peripherals and things that plug into it." Apple's approach, says Zuckerberg, has stifled innovation, particularly by building an ecosystem that doesn't allow third-party developers to create products that connect to the iPhone in the same way that Apple's own peripherals, like AirPods.

 

Zuckerberg Criticizes Apple’s Security and Connectivity Approach

 

The Meta CEO also slammed Apple’s stance on security — and Apple’s use of privacy as a convenient excuse to lock down products from third parties. Zuckerberg said Apple's refusal to open up its protocol to developers is a tactic to keep it in control of its ecosystem.

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 easily,” Zuckerberg said. He argued that if Apple updated its security protocols, the problem could be easily resolved, benefiting both consumers and developers.

 

Details of Zuckerberg on Apple’s Vision Pro Headset

 

Zuckerberg also commented on Apple’s Vision Pro headset which has struggled in the US market. He acknowledged the headset's potential, and said: '“I think the Vision Pro is, I think, one of the bigger swings at doing a new thing that they tried in a while.” However, he did not hold back in criticizing the device’s first iteration. "The V1, it definitely did not hit it out of the park,” he said, noting that while it is “really good for watching movies,” it failed to meet expectations in other areas.

In contrast, Meta’s virtual reality headsets – branded Meta Quest – are continuing to enjoy higher traction in the market.