Mark Zuckerberg, the man who single-handedly redefined the meaning of “awkward,” recently graced Joe Rogan’s podcast with his presence. And, surprise surprise, he had some thoughts on Apple. Apparently, the Meta CEO (because “Facebook” is so 2010) thinks Apple hasn’t done anything “great” since the iPhone. You know, that little device that revolutionized mobile computing and continues to dominate the market. But sure, Zuck, tell us more about how Apple isn’t “innovative.”
Perhaps Zuckerberg has conveniently forgotten about Facebook’s own spectacular failures in the hardware arena. Remember the HTC ChaCha? That Frankensteinian phone with a dedicated Facebook button that screamed, “I have no friends and need constant validation?” Or the HTC Salsa, which was basically the same thing but without the physical keyboard to distract you from its overall mediocrity?
Let’s not forget the HTC First, the phone so deeply intertwined with Facebook that it practically required a login to make a call. It was a masterpiece of over-integration, a testament to Facebook’s belief that the world revolves around its platform. Unsurprisingly, the world disagreed.
But hey, maybe Zuck’s just jealous. After all, Meta’s own hardware endeavors have been less than stellar. Their smartwatch project went down in flames, and the Portal smart display, which looked like a tablet possessed by the spirit of HAL 9000, was quietly shuffled off to the tech graveyard.
So, while Zuckerberg throws shade at Apple, maybe he should take a look in the mirror. Facebook’s track record in the hardware space is littered with the corpses of failed projects and forgotten devices. It’s a sobering reminder that even the biggest tech giants can stumble, and sometimes, it’s best to stick to what you know – even if that means collecting user data and selling targeted ads.
