Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg views Apple as a major competitor over the next decade, highlighting their contrasting product development strategies and company cultures. He supports open platforms versus Apple’s closed ecosystem. Key competition areas include AI, augmented reality glasses, and developer platforms, exemplified by Apple’s Vision Pro headset challenging Meta’s Quest headset.

Mark Zuckerberg

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg says that Apple is his company’s “primary competitor” for the next decade. Speaking on the “Acquired” podcast, Zuckerberg emphasised the stark differences in company cultures and approaches to product development.

“I think in a lot of ways we’re like the opposite of Apple,” Zuckerberg stated, contrasting Meta’s rapid product release strategy with Apple’s more deliberate approach.
He argued that Meta’s willingness to ship products quickly, even at the risk of initial imperfection, fosters faster learning and improvement.
Zuckerberg criticised Apple’s meticulous product development cycle, saying, “If you want to wait until you get praised all the time, you’re missing a bunch of the time when you could’ve learned a bunch of useful stuff and then incorporated that into the next version you’re going to ship.”
The rivalry extends beyond product competition, encompassing fundamental ideological differences about the future of technology. Zuckerberg advocates for open platforms, stating his goal “to build the next generation of open platforms and have the open platforms win.” This stance directly opposes Apple’s tightly controlled ecosystem.

“I think it’s in some ways very deeply values-driven and ideological competition around what the future of the tech industry should be,” Zuckerberg explained, highlighting areas of competition including AI, augmented reality glasses, and developer platforms.
While Apple CEO Tim Cook has previously downplayed the rivalry, recent developments suggest intensifying competition. Apple’s launch of the Vision Pro headset directly challenges Meta’s Quest headset, and the company is expanding into advertising and AI – key areas of focus for Meta.