Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Maybe the Vision Pro and Apple Intelligence aren't off to the best start, but it could be a lot worse than what Tim has managed.
And with another CEO, things could go downhill all the more. Apple's image is quite big and important, so you can quickly do irrevocable damage. As long as sales are stable, there is no reason for a change at the top.
 
  • Like
Reactions: doelcm82
The same Nadella that’s laid off 9000 employees this year thanks to AI? Yeah, definitely the direction Tim Cook should be going 🙄
His stock is up 20% YTD. As someone who owns MSFT he is doing a great job. Got out of Apple last year. Perfect timing. Lucky but perfect. They had no AI vision
 
In what world doesn’t shipping — (or sharing) product with hundreds of millions of customers — require logistics or supply chain? 🤔
In the world of a team of developers, like the one he was a addressing when he reportedly used the quote. He also said “It’s not done until it ships.” The term “shipping” has been used in this context within development teams for as long as I can remember (35+ years as a software developer) to mean “release”. Of course logistics and supply chain are important, but trying to use that particular quote out of context to prop up Tim Cook is, at best, disingenuous.
 
I think Cook has done a very good job after Steve Jobs's death, which was a huge challenge for anyone. Apple is worth many times more than it was worth under Jobs. However, I think it is clear as day that we do indeed need someone product-focussed now. The age of iteration has kept Apple growing and growing, but it will end. I bought an iPhone 16 Pro, upgrading from an iPhone 12 Pro: it was rather deflating that it wasn't appreciably better, though the camera "button" was actually useful while I was on a trip. Remembering that these are considered, expensive purchases, that loss of "magic" is going to prove a huge problem. And let's not even mention AI and Siri and the complete lies around those innovations.
 
while i do think apple needs some fresh thinking, being more focussed on ai is the LAST thing i want. at least in the form of slapping it everywhere indescriminately like everyone else.

my bigger issues are the bugs, the increasing fiddliness of everything, and the yearly re-arranging-the-deck-furniture type updates to appease 'bored' people.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 123123123
I read too many armchair comments when it comes to this kind of topics. I think people cannot grasp how complex it is to manage organization, operations, politics, etc. at the scale of Apple.

Of course, that doesn’t mean that Tim Cook is free of criticism, but it’s delusional to think of him like a “bean counter” who can be easily replaced. The same applies to i.e. Nadella in Microsoft or other big-tech CEOs.

Also, there are some proposals that are wild in the context of Apple’s way of working, i.e. buying an “AI company” and letting them take the role of CEO. Apple has always promoted internal people, and hiring employees, even at SVP level, has been problematic. Companies’ cultures can be very different.
Well said. Apple’s mastery of logistics at billions-unit scale is double-edged: they’ve vastly expanded the market for their products (which are largely aggregation devices) while hiding the associated complexity from users — making the enterprise look easy which in turn fuels armchair quarterbacking.
 
Yeah I agr-

“Missing on AI could fundamentally alter the company's long-term trajectory and ability to grow at all. AI will reshape industries across the global economy, and Apple risks becoming one of its casualties.”

Never ****ing mind
 
I think Tim’s tenure is coming to a natural close anyhow. As far as lagging behind in AI, nine of the companies mentioned have a viable ai product on a phone, that’s actually useful in daily life. I’ll wait for the competition to show up at the doorstep.
 
Old boomers need to step down. They need to start to TRAIN the next generation on what works and how they do what they do, and let younger people step in. This goes for corporations and government and every group.
 
Apple has a platform to run "AI" apps so why so Apple be at the forefront of AI? You come very far with a browser.
 


Research firm LightShed partners says Apple should consider replacing Tim Cook as CEO, but the change is unlikely to occur any time soon.

Tim-Cook-WWDC-2024.jpg

In a note to clients seen by Bloomberg, analysts Walter Piecyk and Joe Galone say that "Apple now needs a product-focused CEO, not one centered on logistics."

Bloomberg notes that Apple shares have "badly lagged" behind rivals like Microsoft and Meta this year after losing ground in the race to deliver compelling artificial intelligence features. Apple shares have fallen 16% in 2025, compared with gains of 25% for Meta and 19% for Microsoft. The note added:



It is worth noting that this year's slump in Apple shares is a comparative blip in the company's long-term performance with Cook at the helm. Apple shares have gained over 1,400% since Cook started as CEO, compared to 430% for the S&P 500.

The comments come after Apple announced that Chief Operating Officer Jeff Williams will step down from his position this month. He will be replaced by Sabih Khan.

Williams was once thought to be Cook's most likely successor. Now, senior vice president of hardware engineering John Ternus is believed to be the frontrunner. LightShed says "Tim Cook was the right CEO at the time of his appointment and unquestionably has done a great job," but in the wake of Williams' departure, "it's time for more disruptive change, not less."

However, Cook is unlikely to step down anytime soon. In his latest "Power On" newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that "there's no immediate successor ready to take the helm. There also haven't been signs internally that Cook is getting ready to leave or begin the process of grooming a replacement."

More significantly, "the board doesn't feel the need to make a change. Apple's directors are Cook loyalists like Arthur Levinson, Susan Wagner and Ronald Sugar." Gurman says:



In fact, Cook's influence at Apple may grow. Gurman believes he could become Apple's chairman, in addition to his role as CEO:



Nevertheless, Apple apparently recognizes the need for change at the company. Senior executives such as services chief Eddy Cue have warned that Apple risks becoming the next BlackBerry or Nokia if it doesn't adapt quickly.



Article Link: Apple CEO Tim Cook Should Be Replaced, Research Firm Says
Tim Cook made Apple the most successful, worthy and wealthiest company in the world.
AirPods, Apple Watch, Vision Pro.
He will step down in the next years due to his age but until then I don’t want anybody else on the companies leadership.
 
  • Like
Reactions: heretiq and I7guy
The day that Cook is forced out is the day I sell all my Apple shares. Lots of people are misguided about the reason for running a company, especially a publicly held company. In three simple words: TO MAKE MONEY.

That's what Cook has done since taking the helm. You may think that visionary product-focused geniuses like Steve Jobs grow on trees, but you'd be wrong. He was a once in a generation force of nature, and we won't be looking on his kind again.
 
So did someone finally create a leadership app for the Vision Pro that allowed this research firm to see clearly what others of us have been saying for YEARS????
 
Finally. This guy's lack of innovation and constant cost cutting has driven all of the creativity out of this company.

What's Tim known for? A failed AR headset and Pride-themed watchbands. Yay.

Time to step aside.
Well here’s a few things Tim’s “known” for:

    • Apple Watch:
      The Apple Watch, released in 2015, was Apple's first new product in the post-Jobs era.
    • AirPods:
      The introduction of AirPods in 2016 marked another successful product launch under Cook's leadership.
    • M1 Chip:
      The development and launch of the M1 chip, which replaced Intel processors, represented a significant step in Apple's vertical integration.
    • Apple Vision Pro:
      The recent unveiling of the Apple Vision Pro mixed-reality headset demonstrates Cook's continued commitment to innovation
 
I have been saying about replacing him for a decade. No one listens to me!
 
  • Like
Reactions: MicahB


Research firm LightShed partners says Apple should consider replacing Tim Cook as CEO, but the change is unlikely to occur any time soon.

Tim-Cook-WWDC-2024.jpg

In a note to clients seen by Bloomberg, analysts Walter Piecyk and Joe Galone say that "Apple now needs a product-focused CEO, not one centered on logistics."

Bloomberg notes that Apple shares have "badly lagged" behind rivals like Microsoft and Meta this year after losing ground in the race to deliver compelling artificial intelligence features. Apple shares have fallen 16% in 2025, compared with gains of 25% for Meta and 19% for Microsoft. The note added:



It is worth noting that this year's slump in Apple shares is a comparative blip in the company's long-term performance with Cook at the helm. Apple shares have gained over 1,400% since Cook started as CEO, compared to 430% for the S&P 500.

The comments come after Apple announced that Chief Operating Officer Jeff Williams will step down from his position this month. He will be replaced by Sabih Khan.

Williams was once thought to be Cook's most likely successor. Now, senior vice president of hardware engineering John Ternus is believed to be the frontrunner. LightShed says "Tim Cook was the right CEO at the time of his appointment and unquestionably has done a great job," but in the wake of Williams' departure, "it's time for more disruptive change, not less."

However, Cook is unlikely to step down anytime soon. In his latest "Power On" newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that "there's no immediate successor ready to take the helm. There also haven't been signs internally that Cook is getting ready to leave or begin the process of grooming a replacement."

More significantly, "the board doesn't feel the need to make a change. Apple's directors are Cook loyalists like Arthur Levinson, Susan Wagner and Ronald Sugar." Gurman says:



In fact, Cook's influence at Apple may grow. Gurman believes he could become Apple's chairman, in addition to his role as CEO:



Nevertheless, Apple apparently recognizes the need for change at the company. Senior executives such as services chief Eddy Cue have warned that Apple risks becoming the next BlackBerry or Nokia if it doesn't adapt quickly.



Article Link: Apple CEO Tim Cook Should Be Replaced, Research Firm Says
I had always thought Jony Ive would be the ideal next CEO who is more product focused. Tim Cook to me was never really the natural successor to Steve Jobs. Tim has done an amazing job scaling Apple like a COO would be expected to, but I don't see him with the product vision to take Apple into the next decade.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Biro
Here we go good morning people. Yeah that’s right. I give the people what they want to read, but those who own stock in a company. He’s doing pretty good for us. So why would they replace him.
And that attitude has led to the downfall of many a company. Steve Jobs knew that if Apple produced superior products, everything else would fall into place. Apple’s great wealth today is the result of that approach. Those who are content with the current trajectory remind me of General Motors shareholders who believed the company was so big and so powerful that nothing could touch it. They learned otherwise.
 
  • Like
Reactions: iPadified


Research firm LightShed partners says Apple should consider replacing Tim Cook as CEO, but the change is unlikely to occur any time soon.

Tim-Cook-WWDC-2024.jpg

In a note to clients seen by Bloomberg, analysts Walter Piecyk and Joe Galone say that "Apple now needs a product-focused CEO, not one centered on logistics."

Bloomberg notes that Apple shares have "badly lagged" behind rivals like Microsoft and Meta this year after losing ground in the race to deliver compelling artificial intelligence features. Apple shares have fallen 16% in 2025, compared with gains of 25% for Meta and 19% for Microsoft. The note added:



It is worth noting that this year's slump in Apple shares is a comparative blip in the company's long-term performance with Cook at the helm. Apple shares have gained over 1,400% since Cook started as CEO, compared to 430% for the S&P 500.

The comments come after Apple announced that Chief Operating Officer Jeff Williams will step down from his position this month. He will be replaced by Sabih Khan.

Williams was once thought to be Cook's most likely successor. Now, senior vice president of hardware engineering John Ternus is believed to be the frontrunner. LightShed says "Tim Cook was the right CEO at the time of his appointment and unquestionably has done a great job," but in the wake of Williams' departure, "it's time for more disruptive change, not less."

However, Cook is unlikely to step down anytime soon. In his latest "Power On" newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that "there's no immediate successor ready to take the helm. There also haven't been signs internally that Cook is getting ready to leave or begin the process of grooming a replacement."

More significantly, "the board doesn't feel the need to make a change. Apple's directors are Cook loyalists like Arthur Levinson, Susan Wagner and Ronald Sugar." Gurman says:



In fact, Cook's influence at Apple may grow. Gurman believes he could become Apple's chairman, in addition to his role as CEO:



Nevertheless, Apple apparently recognizes the need for change at the company. Senior executives such as services chief Eddy Cue have warned that Apple risks becoming the next BlackBerry or Nokia if it doesn't adapt quickly.



Article Link: Apple CEO Tim Cook Should Be Replaced, Research Firm Says
Was expecting 5 digit comments count 🤣🤣🤣
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.