Case Study:
Zuckerberg says Meta and Apple are in ‘very deep, philosophical competition’ to build the metaverse
Mark Zuckerberg believes that Apple and his company are in a “very deep, philosophical competition” to build the metaverse, suggesting the two tech giants are ready to butt heads in selling hardware for augmented and virtual reality.
The Meta CEO told employees earlier this month that they were competing with Apple to determine “what direction the internet should go in,” according to a recording of his comments, he said that Meta would position itself as the more open, cheaper alternative to Apple, which is expected to announce its first AR headset as soon as later this year.
Since rebranding Facebook’s company name to Meta, Zuckerberg has been pushing for the concept of interoperability for the metaverse, or what he sees as the next major chapter of computing after mobile phones. Meta recently helped stand up the Metaverse Open Standards Group with Microsoft, Epic Games, and others. The idea is to spur the creation of open protocols that will let people easily move through future immersive, 3D worlds with their virtual goods.
Apple is absent from the group, which Zuckerberg called out as not surprising in his comments to employees. He explained how Apple’s approach of building hardware and software it tightly controls had worked well with the iPhone, but that for the metaverse, “it’s not really clear upfront whether an open or closed ecosystem is going to be better.”
While CEO Tim Cook has been upfront about the company’s interest in AR as a category, Apple has been characteristically silent about its unannounced hardware plans. Even still, all signs point to the imminent release of a high-end headset that blurs the full immersion of VR with AR experiences that overlay over the real world. Meta is planning to release a similar kind of headset later this year, codenamed Cambria, and is also readying its first true pair of AR glasses.
If VR and AR do take off like Zuckerberg hopes, it seems he wants to position Meta as the Android to Apple’s iOS. There is a parallel to draw already: Meta’s Quest headset already allows the side loading of apps that are not approved by Meta’s VR app store, similar to how Google’s Android allows for sideloading. And even though it just increased the price of the Quest by $100, Meta’s hardware is still mostly sold at a loss or breakeven.
Apple and Meta have never really seen eye to eye. The former is currently costing the latter billions of dollars a year in lost ad revenue on iOS, thanks to its prompt that asks people if they want a third-party app to track them for showing ads. Zuckerberg’s remarks suggest that even as he tries to invent his way out of being under Apple’s thumb on mobile, the two tech giants are going to be battling for years to come.
Below is a lightly edited transcript of Zuckerberg’s answer on June 30th to a Meta employee’s question about metaverse competition with Apple:
Employee question: Apple is absent from metaverse standards and are coming out with their own AR glasses. How does that affect Oculus and our ecosystem? Thanks.
Mark Zuckerberg: I think it’s pretty clear that Apple is going to be a competitor for us, not just as a product but philosophically. We’re approaching this in an open way and trying to build a more open ecosystem. We’re trying to make more stuff interoperable with Android. We’re trying to develop the metaverse in a way where you can bring your virtual goods from one world to another. We created the Metaverse Open Standards Group with a bunch of other folks that you just mentioned, and Apple didn’t join. But I don’t think that’s a surprise. Apple, for a few generations of computing now, has been the closed provider of computing.
This is a competition of philosophies and ideas, where they believe that by doing everything themselves and tightly integrating that they build a better consumer experience. And we believe that there is a lot to be done in specialization across different companies, and [that] will allow a much larger ecosystem to exist.
One of the things I think is interesting is that it’s not really clear upfront whether an open or closed ecosystem is going to be better. If you look back to PCs, Windows was clearly the one that had a lot more scale and became the default and norm that people used. And Mac did fine, but I think PC and Windows were, I think, the premier ecosystem in that environment.
On mobile, I would say it’s more the other way. There’s more Android devices than there are iOS devices, but I think in developed countries and places like the US or Western Europe in kind of the high end, [and] a lot of the culture-setters and developers, I do think that skews quite a bit more towards iPhone and iOS. So I’d say on mobile, Apple has really carved out quite a good position for themselves, and that’s why they’re the most valuable company in the world, or maybe one of the couple most valuable companies in the world.
But I just don’t think that the future is written here yet for the metaverse. And I think part of our job is we’re going to continue doing leading research and pushing on this at all levels of the stack. We’re doing VR. We’re doing AR. We basically deliver our devices at cost or at a slight subsidy, or slightly more than cost in some cases. But the bottom line is our business is not primarily taking a premium on the devices. We want as many people to be interacting in there as possible. Part of that is having it be an open ecosystem that’s interoperable.
Our north star is can we get a billion people into the metaverse doing hundreds of dollars a piece in digital commerce by the end of the decade? If we do that, we’ll build a business that is as big as our current ad business within this decade. I think that’s a really exciting thing. I think a big part of how you do that is by pushing the open metaverse forward, which is what we’re going to do.
So yeah, Apple is going to be a competitor. I think that that’s pretty clear, but it’s actually a very deep competitor. It’s not just [that] they have a device that has some more features than us. It’s a very deep, philosophical competition about what direction the internet should go in. And I am proud of the investments that we’re making to help push forward the open metaverse on this and hopefully make the next version of computing a bit more open.
Questions
In the dynamic landscape of emerging technologies, Meta (formerly known as Facebook) stands at the forefront of the race to create and define the metaverse—a digital realm that encompasses augmented and virtual reality experiences. Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Meta, envisions the metaverse as the next major phase of computing, transcending the mobile phone era. Meta’s position in the metaverse, from a technological perspective, emphasizes its commitment to openness, interoperability, and differentiation from competitors, particularly Apple.
Meta’s core technological approach to the metaverse is characterized by three key pillars:
Open Ecosystem: Unlike Apple, which is known for its tightly integrated hardware and software ecosystem, Meta advocates for an open approach. It seeks to create an ecosystem where interoperability is paramount, enabling users to seamlessly traverse different immersive worlds and carry their virtual goods with them. This open philosophy aligns with Meta’s belief that specialization across various companies will foster a more expansive metaverse ecosystem.
Interoperability and Standards: Meta is actively engaged in driving the development of open protocols and standards for the metaverse through initiatives like the Metaverse Open Standards Group. Collaborating with industry players like Microsoft and Epic Games, Meta aims to ensure that the metaverse is not confined within proprietary ecosystems but fosters compatibility between diverse hardware and software platforms.
Accessibility and Affordability: Meta’s technological strategy focuses on making its metaverse hardware accessible and affordable. The company subsidizes the cost of its devices, such as VR headsets, to encourage widespread adoption and interaction within the metaverse. This strategic move prioritizes building a large user base and revenue stream from digital commerce within the metaverse.
Pros
Strengthens Meta’s commitment to openness and interoperability.
Attracts partners and developers aligned with the open metaverse vision.
Differentiates Meta from competitors, emphasizing its collaborative approach.
Encourages industry-wide adoption of open standards, driving the metaverse ecosystem’s growth.
Cons
May face resistance from competitors who favor closed ecosystems.
Coordination challenges in maintaining consensus among partners on standards.
Requires significant resources for leadership in standardization efforts.
Pros:
Enables Meta to continually introduce innovative and competitive metaverse hardware.
Addresses the challenge of being an early mover in a rapidly evolving technological landscape.
Maintains Meta’s reputation as a technology-driven company.
Enhances the company’s ability to offer diverse and cutting-edge metaverse experiences.
Cons
High research and development costs for rapid hardware iterations.
Risk of market saturation if innovation outpaces user adoption rates.
Need for effective communication to educate users about new features and capabilities.
Marketing Solutions for Meta’s Metaverse Positioning:
Pros
Informs the public about the benefits of Meta’s open metaverse philosophy.
Enhances public understanding of interoperability’s value and implications.
Addresses concerns users might have about data privacy and ecosystem lock-in.
Cultivates a community of advocates who share Meta’s vision for the metaverse.
Cons
Requires effective communication to avoid misinterpretation or misunderstanding.
May not resonate with all consumer segments, particularly those who prioritize closed ecosystems.
Solution 2: Strategic Partnership Marketing
Pros
Collaborations with other industry leaders can amplify Meta’s metaverse positioning.
Joint marketing efforts can increase awareness and market penetration.
Partnership announcements can convey a unified front for the open metaverse concept.
Showcases Meta’s willingness to work with others for the collective benefit of the metaverse ecosystem.
Cons
Choosing the right partners and maintaining alignment can be challenging.
Risk of diluting Meta’s brand identity if partnerships are not well-aligned with its vision.
Dependence on partners’ actions and decisions can impact marketing outcomes.
Considering Meta’s position in the metaverse and its commitment to openness and interoperability, the priority solution for the company should be Solution 1: Emphasize Interoperability Leadership. This aligns with Meta’s technological philosophy and strategic goals, as well as Mark Zuckerberg’s vision of a more open metaverse. By driving the development of open protocols and standards and positioning itself as a leader in the creation of an interoperable metaverse ecosystem, Meta can differentiate itself from competitors, foster collaborations, and contribute significantly to the growth and acceptance of the metaverse as the next major computing paradigm.
In the evolving landscape of emerging technologies, Meta’s approach to the metaverse holds the potential to reshape how we interact with digital experiences. As the competition intensifies, Meta’s dedication to an open, interoperable metaverse sets the stage for a more diverse and dynamic digital future.
As a renowned provider of the best writing services, we have selected unique features which we offer to our customers as their guarantees that will make your user experience stress-free.
Unlike other companies, our money-back guarantee ensures the safety of our customers' money. For whatever reason, the customer may request a refund; our support team assesses the ground on which the refund is requested and processes it instantly. However, our customers are lucky as they have the least chances to experience this as we are always prepared to serve you with the best.
Plagiarism is the worst academic offense that is highly punishable by all educational institutions. It's for this reason that Peachy Tutors does not condone any plagiarism. We use advanced plagiarism detection software that ensures there are no chances of similarity on your papers.
Sometimes your professor may be a little bit stubborn and needs some changes made on your paper, or you might need some customization done. All at your service, we will work on your revision till you are satisfied with the quality of work. All for Free!
We take our client's confidentiality as our highest priority; thus, we never share our client's information with third parties. Our company uses the standard encryption technology to store data and only uses trusted payment gateways.
Anytime you order your paper with us, be assured of the paper quality. Our tutors are highly skilled in researching and writing quality content that is relevant to the paper instructions and presented professionally. This makes us the best in the industry as our tutors can handle any type of paper despite its complexity.
Recent Comments