Meta’s Zuckerberg fires shots at Apple Vision Pro, says Quest is 'better product, period'
Meta’s (META) Mark Zuckerberg got his hands on Apple’s (AAPL) Vision Pro and, perhaps unsurprisingly, he’s not all that impressed. In an Instagram Reel posted Tuesday evening, the social media CEO sized up Apple’s headset against Meta’s own Quest 3 and came to the conclusion that “the Quest is the better product, period.”
Zuckerberg’s post, which he largely filmed using the Quest 3, comes as Apple’s Vision Pro approaches its second week on the market. The $3,499 “spatial computer” quickly went viral as videos and photos of people using it bounced across social media.
All of the hype leading into the Vision Pro’s launch seemingly irked Zuckerberg, who has funneled billions into Meta’s efforts to take VR/AR headsets mainstream and jumpstart his vision for the metaverse, a series of interconnected online worlds.
In his review of the Vision Pro, Zuckerberg calls out a handful of differences between the devices, chief among them their prices. Apple’s Vision Pro is priced well beyond the average consumer electronics product. At $499, the Quest 3 isn’t exactly cheap, though it does come closer to what you’d spend on a modern game console or laptop than Apple’s offering.
Zuckerberg also needled the Vision Pro for requiring a wired external battery pack and said the Quest is more comfortable and has a wider field of view and brighter display.
“I was surprised by how many tradeoffs [Apple] had to make to the quality of the device,” Zuckerberg said. “I’m pretty surprised that Quest is so much better for the vast majority of things that people use these headsets for.”
Zuckerberg also spoke to the broader ecosystems powering the headsets, touching on Apple’s closed-off operating system compared to Meta’s more open approach, saying he wants to see an open approach win out.
For what it's worth, I've used both the Quest 3 and Vision Pro and found the Vision Pro to be easier to navigate and quite comfortable. Its display was also a standout, offering impressive clarity compared to the Quest 3.
It makes sense for Zuckerberg to promote his product. But critiquing Apple’s Vision Pro is an unusual step among tech CEOs.
“I think one of the reasons for anyone to do what he did is to keep up that hype, keep up that momentum, because this market surely needs that,” explained Gartner director and analyst Tuong Nguyen. “Keep people interested, and what better way to keep them interested than shots fired.”
According to Nguyen, Zuckerberg’s battle with Apple is a good thing because it means increased competition, which should ultimately benefit consumers.
It’s also important to keep in mind that Apple could address Zuckerberg’s criticisms with the next version of the Vision Pro, explained IDC research director Ramon Llamas.
“Let's come back in a year, let's come back in two years, and let's see how that story changes,” he said.
This isn’t the first time Zuckerberg and Apple have butted heads. Heck, it’s not the first time the CEO has used his social platform to tangle with another Big Tech executive. You’ll recall the billionaire was previously set to fight Tesla CEO Elon Musk after the X owner challenged Zuckerberg to an MMA match in 2023.
But his disdain for Apple runs deeper than playground antics.
Apple kneecapped Meta’s ad business with the release of its App Tracking Transparency feature in 2021. The software update gave iPhone users the ability to keep apps from tracking their movement across the web and other apps, cutting into a key piece of Meta’s data stream, which helps power its advertising sales.
Meta has also criticized Apple for its so-called walled garden-style operating system that gives the iPhone maker ultimate control over what kind of apps and software users can install on their devices.
However Zuckerberg feels about Apple’s Vision Pro, though, the headset war will ultimately come down to device sales. And if the Vision Pro can beat the Quest 3 there, the CEO’s opinions won’t matter all that much.
Daniel Howley is the tech editor at Yahoo Finance. He's been covering the tech industry since 2011. You can follow him on Twitter @DanielHowley.
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