Apple Chip Chief Johny Srouji Could Be Next to Go as Exodus Continues

[jido]

Tim really needs to work more on retaining talent and strengthening the team before he abandons ship. That’s what a good CEO does. Not paying as much as other companies when apple makes more is ridiculous to lose people for.

You can make up for competitive wages by cultivating company culture and employee happiness. At some level it is better.

I guess the Apple culture is not great now, what with the CEO cozying up with Trump and people leaving…

 

[Chytin]

Srouji probably aspired to become the next CEO, but it appears John Ternus is the frontrunner. He’s extremely talented, young, and brings a genuinely likable presence. Personally, my pick would be Craig Federighi, equally talented, but even more charismatic and likeable than Phil Schiller or other Apple executive ever was.

 

[springsup]

Tim really needs to work more on retaining talent and strengthening the team before he abandons ship. That’s what a good CEO does. Not paying as much as other companies when apple makes more is ridiculous to lose people for.

Yep, that is literally his job. He is supposed to take care of Apple and set it on a path for current and future success.

That's a huge amount of responsibility, which is why, CEOs argue, they deserve such insane compensation. Tim Cook makes between 75 and 100 million dollars every year. But what about now? It turns out, he didn't set Apple up for success at all - it's crumbling. How does anybody justify that kind of compensation (not just for Tim Cook, but in general)?

If you're hearing about this brain drain, it means the real talent already left. The imminent pensioners at the top are just the managers who can't leave as easily; they're not the ones actually creating the technology of tomorrow.

 

[RadMac]

get rid of Apple Intelligence, Vision Pro, iPhone air, iPhone fold.

What did you leave? Making keyboards and chargers?

 

[rosuna]

Apple suffers from a lack of focus. They have spent time and energy on nonsense (AppleCar, AppleVision, iPhone Air, iPhone Fold) and the future of the industry (AI, Smart Glasses) has escaped them. The worst thing is that they have reacted badly, awkwardly, to that oversight. They have time to correct with the right strategies, but I don't understand how they could give the OK to such a stupid product as AppleVision, or how they have been unable to correct Siri, when all their competitors have been getting much better voice assistants over the YEARS. There is something that has not worked well at Apple, and I don't know if it's Tim Cook, some executives hired years ago or the way decisions are made at the highest level.

 

[nickf]

It'll be fine.

 

[DanneP]

Can't say I blame him: imagine building incredible silicon and hardware systems to have increasingly buggy, flaccid UX, and run of the mill SW put on top, but then locked down to the point they can't run anything else.

The notable exception is MLX, which I actually think is an incredible system and very well thought out and executed, but iOS/iPadOS/macOS, despite having the very loyal installed base (who likely thinks all is well in the world and they are just fine and always will, and, really, that's fine, I'm not saying they shouldn't feel that way if they _really_ feel that way and aren't just "coping"), looking at this from Johny et al's perspective, who likely have enough vested stock & career arc fulfilled, so "building cool things that do cool things" is probably the currency that matters the most, why wouldn't pastures at NVIDIA, Qualcomm, or even a startup where they'd get the full stack or close to it look better (where they'd also, arguably, get some diversity in their portfolio with some equity from other parts of the market)? Of course it would.

The Neural Engine is walled off, anything past M2 won't even boot Linux (and M2/M1 don't very reliably run it as a daily driver), and MLX is great but it's still not close to critical mass, and macOS/iOS/iPadOS is increasingly flat and buggy with poor UX to many people (the latter, of course, is subjective, the former is more objective), yeah, no surprise people are leaving.

This is what keeps me from buying a Mac. Of course I'd like to run MacOS but if the OS heads in the wrong direction (Hello Tahoe! Hello Apple Intelligence!) or when official support is ended, I'd like to be able to install another OS. It makes me very sad, because the M* chips probably has the performance to drive a working Linux desktop for the next 100 years or so, but no, they just have to ruin it.

Instead, they could give the OSS community some support (I bet Apple has the resources, I'll happily trade some Liquid Glass and a few emojis for better open source software support). I know it's very niche and not directly in Apples interest, but it wouldn't hurt them and maybe their image of being extremely closed down might change.

But nah, not Apple... it's MacOS or nothing for the worlds best hardware. A dick move.

Yeah, I know about Asahi and their work, it looked promising but a few key persons has left and it seems like we'll never get full support, even for the M1 and M2. I really hope I'm wrong.

 

[CalmCruiser]

I know somebody else who should think about retiring, Mr Gurman himself.

Again overreacting and blowing things out of proportion.

 

[Wanted797]

I think if that were true, they’d have kept shipping the G4 Cube, which apparently was a flop, but Jobs and Ive loved.

Oh im not saying he wouldn’t be forced by the board to modify a hated design.

I think it’s more that the 4th iPhone has always failed or “not sold as well” and I think it really comes down to people are spoiled for choice and are going to choose what feels “normal to them” but normal is fun. Or magic or “a great product”. It’s boring.

I think Steve had the boldness to try the new things and say “this is the way forward” and remove the old options. Apple today is too scared to do that.

 

[macduke]

Srouji leaving would be a dark omen. The best thing that Apple has done for the last decade is Apple Silicon, and it’s not even close.

I hope Apple doesn’t fail. Do you guys know how much it’s gonna suck to work without Macs and use phones with zero privacy that track our every move? It makes my skin crawl even thinking about it.

The worst part is that privacy is a key advantage for Apple, and yet surveys suggest young people just don’t care about it anymore, which means Apple will be losing an entire demographic over time. And all young people clown on Apple Intelligence.

Then you have the software bugs and general instability and poor reception of Liquid Glass. They’re losing the mindshare that they’re a premium brand worth paying premium prices at an accelerating rate.

 

[chmania]

I know somebody else who should think about retiring, Mr Gurman himself.

Again overreacting and blowing things out of proportion.

That's how he earns his pay check, and his employer too.

 

[SmugMaverick]

Srouji leaving would be a dark omen. The best thing that Apple has done for the last decade is Apple Silicon, and it’s not even close.

I hope Apple doesn’t fail. Do you guys know how much it’s gonna suck to work without Macs and use phones with zero privacy that track our every move? It makes my skin crawl even thinking about it.

The worst part is that privacy is a key advantage for Apple, and yet surveys suggest young people just don’t care about it anymore, which means Apple will be losing an entire demographic over time. And all young people clown on Apple Intelligence.

Then you have the software bugs and general instability and poor reception of Liquid Glass. They’re losing the mindshare that they’re a premium brand worth paying premium prices at an accelerating rate.

No, it really isn't.

Stop listening to apple marketing ffs, they track you just like everyone else except they lie about it.

 

[McNoise]

Obligatory: Bring back the mini!

But first, Apple needs to restore my good eyesight... or make me 25 years younger overall. 😂

 

[SmugMaverick]

I have moaned for years on here about the AWFUL choices apple (Tim) has made in the last 6-7 years.

Jeff "bean counter" williams in charge of hardware design giving us the same phone 6 years straight ffs
Tims ego project Vision Pro, thinking people in the current climate will pay $4000 w/ tax for it ffs
Apple car 😂
Apple Intelligence 😂
making your "pro" phones feel like cheap knock offs.
sucking up to trump 😂
iOS 26 buggy mess 😂

failure after failure that's covered up by sales from sheep and Americans, the product isn't good enough anymore and shiny new apple toys aren't worth it anymore.

 

[seek3r]

failure after failure that's covered up by sales from sheep and Americans, the product isn't good enough anymore and shiny new apple toys aren't worth it anymore.

“failure after failure that’s covered up by sales” is literally every single business in existence… do you think any major business doesnt have duds, and many more things those duds that got left on the cutting room and never were released?

 

[thekeyring]

Well he's seeing people being lured away by that sweet Meta/OpenAI bag and then he's stuck in his dungeon working on the A whatever chip for Tims next dull rectangle.

That isn't what's happening though... Apple are working on new exciting things like AR glasses and updates to Vision Pro.

 

[thekeyring]

Totally agree. It makes me think that someone has offered him a chance to build something new without whatever shackles are limiting him at Apple. I can't imagine he's going elsewhere for the money. It has to be for the vision.

Many people believe that AI is the future and that voice-driven conversational interfaces will be one of the next big things to happen. It's obvious that Apple has fallen very far behind. Maybe building some new kind of AI chip for someone else is much more interesting than the rinse and repeat chip design cycle at Apple.

I agree with the first part.

But Apple are hardly doing "rinse and repeat". They've just transitioned the Mac to Apple Silicon and are working on AR glasses. If it's a new ambitious hardware project he's after, why does't that satisfy?

 

[Mac Fly (film)]

Clean house.

Controversial—get rid of the Apple content studio. Focus on content making, not content production. Production is inherently political, getting out of the arena allows Apple to focus its attention on making the best hammers, not trying to make houses.

Bring in Tony Fadell (as CEO), try to bring back Mike Mattas and Loren Britcher in key positions, the new software lead is good, keep him in a key position also. Get new icon designers, perhaps try to get Louie Mantia back. Give Apple employees a reason to be inspired and come to work, and make it a place where people want to chose it over their competitors for design reasons, along with everything else. Focus on hardware, culling products and offer key devices is more sizes.

There should be two iPhones named:

iPhone (5.7” 6.3” 6.9”)
iPhone Ultra (5.7” 6.3” 6.9”)

Swap Camera Control for QuickSnap (button). Don’t try to replicate the touch controls of the Camera app, rather, focus on simplicity: a quick way to start taking photos (user option in Settings to open the Camera and take your first snap in a single press). Bonus: SLR-like shutter button with half-press available that pops the user into QuickView, where the camera view 90% fills the display, with a gap around the perimeter to show the user can leave this mode by letting go, pressing fully snaps a photo and completes the transition into the Camera app.

Three iPads:

iPad mini
iPad (two sizes)
iPad Pro (thicker, more ports, same two sizes)

No Mac Studio, new Mac Pro in a size a little bigger than Mac Studio, think: “Mac Studio Plus”. One device to replace two. The overheating problem of Macs of old isn’t the issue of the day anymore and one Pro BYODKM can readily replace those two. For the small BYODKM they have Mac mini.

Add to iMac lineup, change display size to 27-inches (EOL 24-inch iMac), add SD Card port and Qi2 charging in the foot—give both wireless mouse and wireless keyboard Qi2 charging in addition to sensibly positioned USB-C charging. Allow devices to use the Qi2 pad in the foot without “waking” the iMac, and will even charge if iMac is plugged in but completely shut down.

Add “iMac Studio” a resurrection of the “lamp” for the modern era (very much a “pro” iMac) focusing on key features such as large thin display (32-inches), rear port variety, with some easily accessible front facing ports (ala Mac Studio), speakers that go boom (dome foot looks mesh and resembles a single speaker—hidden inside the unassuming mesh dome are several directional speakers, the motherboard and a decent fan with vapour chamber), the moving, floating thin display creates a beautiful computer that is also ergonomic, with the bonus “one more thing” — the user can option a touchscreen at checkout, and then pull the display down to the desk into “easel mode”, and have it be a beautiful studio tool for visual artists—software adapts to easel mode.

Focus on making a good mouse. Have a wired option (no battery) in addition to a wireless option with the charging port on the tippy-front. Prioritise neither one, market it as an ergonomic mouse with more obvious distinct buttons, in wired and wireless versions. Rename it Apple Mouse. Swipe and scrolling gestures still function—swiping gestures can be turned off.

Same with keyboard, give it more travel and offer it in both wired and wireless versions.

Give the wired version a couple of additional ports along the back edge—for plugging in a wired mouse, with a spare USB-C port, SD Card port and backlighting. Rename the wireless to Apple Keyboard, and the wired Apple Keyboard Plus.

Stop causing confusion—one Apple Pencil only—get rid of the rest. Make the top of the pencil an optional eraser feature—squeeze for contextual controls, which include an eraser, or flip the pencil over for the physical experience.

Apple Mesh—zero setup secure home wireless network where the user can add on numerous Wifi satellites by simply plugging them in and entering the network password pop-up on their Apple device. This means Apple users won’t need Google or Amazon in their home for turnkey home mesh networking.

Make AirDrop industry standard in official partnership with Google and MS. Include tap-to-share feature as part of official AirDrop protocol, whereby tapping offers both user and sender a list of share options to chose from, Photos, files, their own contact card, sending cash over, and on and on. Tap, boom, boom.

Bring iMessage to Android and Windows with all features and pay for app with frictionless cash sending feature.

Get rid of all Apple Watches, aside from Watch and Watch Ultra. Create MFi Apple program offering it to key sports and fashion brands, attaching their watch magically (via embedded NFC chip) unlocks their branded watch faces in a satisfyingly simple fade transition.

Fix laptop sizes. MBA 13" and 14.5", MBP 14.5" and 16.5". Forgo budget laptop. One more distraction. Improve MBA by giving it more ports (SD Card and HDMI, two Thunderbolt four), improve MBP (not by making it thinner) by doubling-down on its pro-ness (four Thunderbolt five for starters). Make it THE MOST PRO MBP THAT HAS EVER PRO'D. Pro and Ultra chips only, no standard chip. Standard chip is for MBA.

 

[GuilleA]

So you're saying I should invest into IBM stock right about now.

Nobody ever got fired for buying IBM

 

[Lioness~]

I can't wait until Tim is gone.
Counting the days.

The rest of Apple can probably sort it out over a few meetings once he’s gone.
Give them some temporary anarchy - some more might leave - It can only get a lot better without Cook.
He have been there far too long. I had hoped it was only transitional after Steve died.
Get rid of that brick now.

 

[nickf]

Srouji leaving would be a dark omen. The best thing that Apple has done for the last decade is Apple Silicon, and it’s not even close.

He's in his 60s. Priorities change as we get older. I retired from academia at 55 (the best decision I ever made). I still do the odd bit of teaching and consultancy, but it's my call now. Perhaps he also wants to ease off a little, who knows. He's certainly achieved much in life, and has the financial security to do whatever the hell he likes.

As for the future of Apple Silicon, I'm not concerned. It wasn't a single engineer effort. Maybe it'll get even better if he leaves? - new directions, fresh ideas, that kind of thing.

 

[Mrkevinfinnerty]

That isn't what's happening though... Apple are working on new exciting things like AR glasses and updates to Vision Pro.

Hmm. Vision Pro is a flop lets be honest even a cheaper lighter future iteration is unlikely to be the next big thing.

AR glasses are interesting but all we have from Apple are rumours, Meta is actually shipping a product. Sure Meta's product isn't earth shattering at the moment but they are further along than Apple are.

Last i heard about Apple's AR glasses effort was that they were hoping to leverage Siri (which doesn't really bode well) and they would be more of an iPhone accessory.

Without banging the 'what Steve would've done' schtick too much but Jobs was willing to kill the iPod so that they could launch the iPhone. There is absolutely nothing about the current leadership at Apple that suggests that they would be willing to cannibalise iPhone sales, we are seeing all of the articles now about senior Apple execs describing them as risk averse. Srouji will be seeing all this at close quarters.

It's classic innovators dilemma.

 

[Donkey Man]

The rest of Apple can probably sort it out over a few meetings once he’s gone.
Give them some temporary anarchy - some more might leave - It can only get a lot better without Cook.
He have been there far too long. I had hoped it was only transitional after Steve died.
Get rid of that brick now.

It’s simpler than this:

- Hire Musk as CEO;
- bring back Jobs’s 2x2 matrix as a MAX limit for all product lines;
- republish the classic Apple Human Interface Guidelines and require all to abide by them;
- release a Snow Leopard-like Mac OS and mandate the team to get rid of all years-long unfixed bugs;
- eliminate the IAP scourge from the App Store, or at least prioritize non-IAP apps in its search engine and storefront;
- immediately end all DEI policies and focus only on merit for all employees;
- immediately discontinue AVP;
- immediately discontinue Apple Arcade, ATV streaming, Apple Fitness and Apple News - license the little existing ATV content to other media companies;
- stop any and all Ellen Hancock-, Copland-like internal developments at Apple;
- immediately fire all execs who refuse to toe the above lines;
- immediately discontinue Siri and use only uncensored Grok or Gab AI as AI technologies;
- rehire Avie Tevanian and Scott Forstall.

 

[seek3r]

screwing up constantly? Such as delivering record profits every quarter? Folks forget Apple is the only one of the Mag 7 that HAS TO release new products yearly. Google and Meta are are advertising companies that use the boatloads of advertising money as play money for everything they do. They wouldn't be able to dabble in AI without it. Amazon is a shopping monopoly and Microsoft is a software company. I would say Apple is the only true tech company of the seven with all the products, services, computer chips, cellular chips that they deliver on a yearly basis like clockwork and funding directly from profits from said products, not advertising. I don't know what folks are smoking when they dismiss that.

One correction there: “Amazon is a shopping monopoly that runs the internet” - Amazon’s biggest profit center isnt retail/shopping or shipping these days, it’s AWS. They are a huge tech company

 

[Laggy]

Maybe the reason of their departures is the fact that they can’t actually free their ideas and skills due to high control and religion like work environment. Gurman is right, ever since Apple Watch/Airpods Apple did not make any new breathtaking hardware. I was waiting for HomePod like device with screen but it’s not here and probably never be