TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – Currently the competition between the tech giants Apple and Meta—formerly known as Facebook—seems to be mostly about privacy. However, competition for Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), wearables, and smart home technologies could exist between the two companies.
Apple issues privacy updates that have affected businesses Meta, then Meta criticized Apple’s App Store policies. Bloomberg technology journalist Mark Gurman said that the competition between the two giants of Silicon Valley, United States, will heat up when they start competing in other spaces, such as AR technology, smart watches, and smart home initiatives.
Meta, for example, is currently working on a mixed-reality device called Project Cambria. Apple is also said to be developing an advanced mixed-reality visor, which will likely cost a lot more than the Meta version.
According to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple is likely to launch the device next year. Some reports suggest that headset these can be priced at US$3,000 (Rp 42.7 million) or more, possibly targeted at game developers and fans.
However, Leo Gebbie, principal analyst at CCS Insights, suggested that Apple was unlikely to move earlier in the market and release a device that only a select few could access. He noted that while Apple has no direct involvement with VR, its ARKit API is a testament to the company’s expertise in spatial computing.
“So we should expect a rich experience through a tightly curated App Store. In terms of hardware, we don’t expect anything other than high-end specs from Apple devices,” said Gebbie.
Unlike Apple, Meta didn’t start from scratch with its VR ambitions, as the company is already a leader in that field with a variety of Oculus headsets—especially the Oculus Quest 2. Counterpoint, the company dominated in Q4 2020 and Q1 2021 in the VR market, with a nearly 75 percent share of global shipments.
So Meta already has the advantage in terms of platform reach. However, it has bigger ambitions with more powerful devices coming next year. In its announcement, Project Cambria, will present a new device with improved face tracking and mixed-reality features.
Additionally, Apple Watch could see future competition from Meta-branded smartwatches that can combine health and communication features. Lastly, Meta expanded into smart home products with its Portal line of devices, and Apple competed in the market with the HomePod and HomeKit.
However, Gurman believes that Apple is ‘serious’ in the smart home business. The Tom Cook-led company is reportedly working on a combined set-top box with built-in speakers, as well as a device similar to the Portal or Amazon Echo Show. The end result is that Apple and Meta are likely headed for a ‘collision course’ in the tech market.
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