Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is all in on the metaverse (duh,) so there was zero percent chance he’d have anything nice to say about Apple’s new Vision Pro AR headset. And he didn’t!
The Verge reports that Mr. Meta held a companywide meeting, during which he said that Apple’s device doesn’t do anything better than Meta’s upcoming Quest 3 headset. Zeroing in on Apple’s early PR campaign showing a headset user sitting alone on a couch, Zuck quipped, “I mean, that could be the vision of the future of computing, but like, it’s not the one that I want.” Oh, snap!
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Zuck explained that Apple’s headset “requires so much energy that now you need a battery and a wire attached to it to use it,” while the Quest’s operating principle is that it “is about people interacting in new ways” and “being active and doing things.” Double snap!
He then pointed out that Meta’s Quest 3 will sell for $499 — $3,000 cheaper than the pricey Vision Pro. “I think that [Apple’s] announcement really showcases the difference in the values and the vision that our companies bring to this in a way that I think is really important. We innovate to make sure that our products are as accessible and affordable to everyone as possible, and that is a core part of what we do. And we have sold tens of millions of Quests.” The seldom-seen triple snap!
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Zuck ended the slamfest by saying that Apple’s entry into the space has really revved his Meta motor. “Seeing what they put out there and how they’re going to compete just made me even more excited, and in a lot of ways optimistic that what we’re doing matters and is going to succeed,” he said.
You move, Tim Cook. Are you going to take that?
The era of spatial computing is here. Where digital content blends seamlessly with your physical space. So you can do the things you love in ways never before possible. This is Apple Vision Pro.
— Apple (@Apple) June 5, 2023