'Apple Hasn't Invented Anything Great In A While': Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg

Mark Zuckerberg alleged that Apple is using its 30 per cent developer fee as a way to compensate for declining iPhone sales.

Mark Zuckerberg has criticised Apple for failing to produce significant innovations since the iPhone.

Source : X/@ericmmatheny

In a recent appearance on Joe Rogan's podcast, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg shared his thoughts on Apple, claiming that the company hasn’t "invented anything significant in a while." He argued that since Steve Jobs introduced the first iPhone in 2007, Apple has been "coasting on it" for nearly two decades. The nearly three-hour discussion also covered topics such as Meta's recent changes to its content moderation policies, the Trump administration, and what Zuckerberg views as Apple's declining innovation in recent years.

Zuckerberg’s comments are consistent with his history of openly criticising Apple, particularly regarding its App Store policies and privacy measures. During the podcast, he also questioned the trajectory of iPhone sales, suggesting that Apple might not be experiencing year-over-year growth and speculating that the company’s sales "could actually be in decline."

Zuckerberg further alleged that Apple is using its 30 per cent developer fee as a way to compensate for declining iPhone sales. The Meta CEO also criticized Apple's approach to its AirPods technology, stating that by keeping it locked within their proprietary ecosystem, “they’ve just thoroughly hamstrung the ability for anyone else to build something that can connect to the iPhone in the same way.”

Mark Zuckerberg On Apple Vision Pro

Zuckerberg, while commenting on Apple’s expensive augmented reality headset, i.e., the Vision Pro, said that the $3,500 headset “is worse than the thing that we shipped for $300 or $400.” However, he also noted that the iPhone-maker is a “good technology company” and that their second or third-generation headsets will be better than the first-generation products.

While Mark Zuckerberg has criticised Apple for failing to produce significant innovations since the iPhone, it's worth noting that Meta has similarly focused on growth through acquisitions rather than original development. The company expanded its reach by purchasing popular services and brands like WhatsApp, Instagram, and Oculus.

For context, Facebook made an attempt to break into the smartphone market in 2011 with its own device, the HTC Chacha. However, the phone failed to gain traction, and Meta has since abandoned its smartphone ambitions.