• Mark Zuckerberg has told Meta staff that he sees Apple as a metaverse rival, reports The Verge.
• Zuckerberg said Meta and Apple have “philosophical” differences when it comes to the Metaverse.
• He said Meta would try to create a more “open” metaverse technology.

Mark Zuckerberg sees Apple as a major Meta rival as the company seeks to break into the Metaverse, according to a recording of a corporate meeting obtained by The Verge.

Zuckerberg told staff that Meta and Apple are in “very deep philosophical competition” when it comes to the Metaverse.

The word “metaverse” is a term borrowed from science fiction and refers to a hypothetical version of the Internet accessible through immersive technologies such as virtual reality and augmented reality rather than through screens.

Zuckerberg is betting big on the metaverse, and in October restructured and renamed the company — formerly known as Facebook — to reflect his metaverse ambitions.

Zuckerberg said one difference between Meta and Apple is that while he thinks Apple will create a closed ecosystem for its metaverse technology, Meta will try to be more open.

“We’re approaching this in an open way and trying to build a more open ecosystem,” Zuckerberg said, according to a slightly edited transcript of the call posted by The Verge.

He added that Meta is trying to make its metaverse technology compatible with Android phones.

He also seemed to suggest that Meta would beat Apple on price, according to The Verge’s transcript:

“We basically deliver our devices at cost or at a slight subsidy, or slightly more than cost in some cases. But the bottom line is that our business doesn’t primarily take a premium on the devices. We want as many people interact in there as possible. Part of that is making it an open, interoperable ecosystem.

The company’s investment in Metaverse technology has so far been a big drain on its cash reserves, and Zuckerberg told shareholders in May that he expects Metaverse development to continue to lose steam. money for the company over the next three to five years.

The Metaverse isn’t the only battleground Meta shares with Apple, the companies have publicly argued over issues such as user privacy.

Meta and Apple did not immediately respond when contacted by Insider for comment.