Big tech companies are currently fighting for hegemony in several fields, with artificial intelligence and the metaverse as the main battlefields. Mark Zuckerberg’s company seems to be ahead in the development of mixed reality technologies. Not in vain, last month he presented the Meta Quest 3, a device that goes on sale this week in our country. And he is already working on the next generation of this device. The problem for the company formerly known as Facebook is that it will soon face the toughest competition it could imagine: Apple.
Analyst Mark Gurman indicates in his Bloomberg newsletter that Meta would already be working on developing a new model without controls to compete with Apple’s Vision Pro. And at a lower price. The goal of both companies is to bring glasses to the market that are comfortable for their customers. All models created so far are too large, heavy and intrusive.
The company with the bitten apple, for its part, continues working on a Vision Pro 2 that can be worn for hours without too much discomfort for its wearer. Due to the size and weight, some customers complained of neck problems, so the Cupertino firm has taken this task very seriously.
Tim Cook’s company would also seek to facilitate the use of the viewer for users with glasses, creating models with prescription lenses integrated directly into the device. As Gurman points out, Apple has partnered with the company Zeiss to integrate prescription lenses. In this way, customers will be able to put their glasses aside when putting on the visor.
The Vision Pro will hit the market in early 2024, and although Apple assures that its product is infinitely superior, its price ($3,500 per device) could be exclusive for a large part of the public. For its part, Meta is focused on reducing the price of its future launches to gain ground on Apple.
The new model that Meta is preparing to compete against Apple’s Vision Pro will have a lower price and will be able to do without drivers. In this way, the glasses can be controlled with your hands without the need for controls, going on sale for a quite affordable price: about $300.
The modus operandi to design a cheaper product is clear: Meta will make use of less expensive components, focusing on the mid-range market, leaving the Meta Quest Pro for the high-end. Likewise, Zuckerberg’s aims to reduce costs by eliminating the use of drivers with the viewer, as mentioned above.
For the moment, we have to wait and see how technology lovers receive the devices from Apple and Meta, two companies that will continue fighting to lead this emerging market.
