A decade ago, it would have been hard to envision a world where Apple and Facebook were direct competitors.
But a combination of moves by both firms have pinned them against each other in two business units: ads and AR/VR headsets.
A brief timeline:
- In 2014, Facebook bought Oculus for $2B — its first foray into hardware.
- In 2021, Apple released App Tracking Transparency (ATT), a feature that let users choose which apps track them, spelling bad news for Facebook.
- Later in 2021, Facebook changed its name to Meta to establish itself as a leader in the metaverse, something its Oculus headsets would facilitate.
- In 2022, Apple CEO Tim Cook teased an AR/VR headset, and the company announced plans to ramp up its advertising ambitions.
Recent job listings suggest Apple could pose a serious threat to Meta on both fronts. And after recently surpassing Android for US smartphone market share, Apple is likely the last company Meta wants to compete against.
